Part of life is a role reversal that hits as our parents reach old age. For many people, at some point they become incapable of truly caring for themselves or maintaining their own home, at which point that role reversal hits, and the children become the caretakers. By this time, the children have often reachedRead more
While you might need to “spend down” some of your assets to qualify for Medicaid or MassHealth in Massachusetts. To pay for your nursing home care, you typically will not have to sell your house as part of this process. However, there is still a chance the state will attempt to file a claim againstRead more
To be able to pay for certain types of medical care with Medicaid known as MassHealth in Massachusetts, you must first qualify to receive Medicaid assistance. Medicaid is typically reserved for people who have low monthly incomes and/or few available assets to pay for their medical care. There are some people who have too muchRead more
If you are at least 65 years old or are in need of long-term care services, you may apply for MassHealth, Massachusetts’ Medicaid program. There are three ways of applying for the program: Applying by mail To complete the application by mail, print out the Application for Health Coverage for Seniors and people Needing Long-TermRead more
Medicaid planning is an important part of estate planning for many people. Without the proper expert advice, there is the potential to make some mistakes that could cost you and your family quite a bit of money. Medicaid rules change frequently, so it’s important to work with an experienced elder law attorney who can helpRead more
It is an unfortunate reality that many seniors will become victims of elder abuse, and that these incidents of elder abuse add more than $5 billion per year to healthcare expenses in the United States. One report from the National Center on Elder Abuse estimated seniors lose $3 billion due to financial abuse per year.Read more
Many states have laws in place that make adult children responsible for paying for their parents’ medical care in certain circumstances. While these laws are not always (or even frequently) enforced, it is still worth understanding them to determine if you have any responsibility to pay nursing home bills on behalf of your elderly parents.Read more
As you may know, any gifts or assets you transfer within 60 months of applying for Medicaid benefits are subject to penalties. This 60-month or 5 year timeframe is what’s called the “look back” period. These penalties are not calculated in a dollar figure, but rather a set of additional months in which you willRead more
Medicaid is a federal healthcare program that offers free or low-cost healthcare to qualifying adults and children with low incomes. The program is federally and state-funded, and each state has control over its own Medicaid program — for example MassHealth in Massachusetts. While the eligibility rules for Medicaid vary from state to state, there areRead more
Financial scams targeting senior citizens have become unfortunately common, because they target a vulnerable population that tends to have more money in their bank accounts. These scams often go unreported and can be very difficult to prosecute, which makes them especially devastating to their victims. Therefore, it is important that victims are aware of someRead more
