Rules for MassHealth nursing home eligibility are designed to help cover the costs of long-term care. The rules are notorious for being complicated, which can lead to misunderstandings about whether you qualify and for how much coverage. Countable Assets There is a limit on “countable” assets—that is, the assets that count against your MassHealth eligibility.Read more
If you’re 65 or over and female, you have a 52% chance of needing a nursing home stay in your future, whether briefly or perhaps for the rest of your life. Men have a 33% chance. Depending on your physical condition and financial situation, you may be able to qualify for MassHealth and Medicaid. MassachusettsRead more
MassHealth is Massachusetts’ Medicaid offering, designed to help low-income residents get the medical care that they need. At some point in your life, you might find that you or a loved one needs the care of a full-time nursing facility. This can be a lengthy and arduous process, given the amount of forms and informationRead more
The average cost of a nursing home ranges from $50,000 per year up to $92,000 per year (for a private room), which is simply out of reach for many older Americans. In Massachusetts the number can exceed $150,000 annually. That can deplete your resources quickly, and no one wants to see their life’s savings disappearRead more
When you’re looking into applying for MassHealth (Medicaid), you should consider seeking an attorney for professional assistance. MassHealth has strict asset limits and making even minor mistakes can lead to long disqualification periods. Sometimes, all you’ll need is help gathering documents and filling out the forms, but for some, this will require wealth transfers. WhenRead more
Occasionally, we hear from clients or from others who have some objections to the idea of Medicaid planning in the context of paying for nursing home care. MassHealth is the Medicaid Program in Massachusetts. These objections are understandable to a degree—Medicaid planning does sometimes involve strategically eliminating assets so you can qualify for Medicaid andRead more
Medicaid is the single-largest source for funding nursing home care that exists in the United States. In Massachusetts, the Medicaid program is called MassHealth. With as prevalent as it is, one would think the general population would be more knowledgeable about it, including who qualifies and exactly what it covers. However, there are a lotRead 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
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 known as MassHealth in Massachusetts is made available to low-income families and seniors to provide them with healthcare coverage and coverage for long-term nursing home care. However, not everyone qualifies for Medicaid. If you are getting close to the point where living in a nursing home could be a legitimate possibility, you must startRead more
An Advance Directive allows you to dictate the kinds of treatments you do and do not want at the end of your life. It comprises documents such as a health care proxy (or health care power of attorney) and living will. As you prepare your estate plan, you might wonder exactly what you should includeRead more
When determining whether you qualify for benefits through Medicaid, known as MassHealth in Massachusetts, to cover medical expenses, your local Medicaid agency will carefully evaluate your income and the property that you own. When you apply for Medicaid, any gifts or transfers of assets made within the previous five years (60 months) of the dateRead more
