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Caregiving Health and Wellness Medicaid Made Simple

Finance Management for Seniors in Nursing Homes

Medicaid, Medicare, and Private Pay Options

If you’ve made the decision that your loved one requires long-term nursing home care, you are likely aware that the complexity of caring for a senior loved one is likely only matched by the financial details in relation to their care. 

Join Senior Planning as we explore the elevated costs of Nursing home care as well as the available pay options.

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Caregiving Health and Wellness Medicaid Made Simple

Winter Safety Tips for Seniors

How to keep the winter a safe and healthy season for aging loved ones.

Snowflakes drift past the windowpanes, and the warmth hissing from the radiator invites hot cocoa drinks and soft tones.

Winter is a time of cozy togetherness, of holidays and family time – and also of unique hazards.


For the senior population in particular, the cold and stormy season brings many health and safety concerns to the fore. It’s important to be aware of common pitfalls and take the necessary precautions to protect ourselves and our aging loved one during this season.

Temperature Drops and Hypothermia

As we age, our body works harder to regulate its internal temperature. This means that older individuals have a bigger risk of developing frostbite and hypothermia.

What is Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is the term used when a person’s body temperature, which is normally at 98.6 degrees, drops below 95 degrees.
Symptoms of Hypothermia include:

  • ➤ Shivers
  • ➤ Confusion
  • ➤ Sleeping Difficulty
  • ➤ Muscle Stiffness

Practical tips to prevent Hypothermia:

  • ➤ Be sure that the indoor thermostats are set to around 78 – 80 degrees Fahrenheit when the weather gets cold.
  • ➤ Seniors should not spend extended periods of time outdoors in the cold weather, even if they feel okay. Body temperatures can drop suddenly in the freezing weather and the results can be fatal.
  • ➤ If the weather is stormy and the area is prone to outages, make sure your elderly loved one has a plan of action in the event the heat stops working in the house.
    It is also a good idea to have a power outage emergency kit in a handy spot including flashlights, a cell phone, and a list of emergency phone numbers.
Categories
Gifting Medicaid Made Simple

Medicaid Spend Down

Medicaid Spend Down for Senior Care

What to do when one’s assets are above the Medicaid limits.

Medicaid eligibility criteria will vary by state, each having a set amount of income and assets allowed for an elderly individual or couple looking to obtain Nursing Home Medicaid or HCBS Waivers.

Despite the limits in place, the Medicaid spend-down option allows seniors to legally qualify for Medicaid approval if their assets can be ‘spent down’ in accordance with the Medicaid spend-down allowances. Learn how with Senior Planning Services.

Medicaid Spend-down//Defined

In a nutshell, spend-down means that the state allows Medicaid applicants to subtract specific non-covered medical expenses and living costs from their countable assets to lower their asset total and qualify for Medicaid.

This program is also referred to as Surplus Income, Excess Income, Share of Cost, or Medically Needy. 

*Although most states do, some states do not participate in this program.

What may be included in Medicaid spend-down?

If your loved one’s income and assets exceed the Medicaid limits, here are the specific details about expenses and assets that may be removed from the asset total, to hopefully amount to less than the state limits. 

Income Spend-down

Spending down income is pretty straightforward and means that if an elderly applicant’s income exceeds the state’s limit, and his monthly medical bills add up to the exceeded amount or more, his net income will meet the eligibility criteria and thereby allow him to be approved for Medicaid. 

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Caregiving Health and Wellness Medicaid Connecticut Medicaid Made Simple Medicaid Massachusetts Medicaid New Jersey Medicaid New York Medicaid Pennsylvania Medicaid Rhode Island

Medicaid Eligibility Criteria for Seniors

Income and asset limits for the Elderly

Sam is 69 years old and the proud owner of a home, a car, and a great life insurance policy. In addition, he still receives a monthly income of $3,500 from the supermarket he had founded. His physical health has deteriorated to the extent that it is clear to his spouse and children that he requires nursing home-level care. A quick online search reveals that the current income and asset limits in New Jersey for seniors are $2,742 income per month and a total of $2,000.00 in assets.

Unaware of the various options available to applicants in NJ and other states who are above the income limit, such as setting up a QIT, Sam’s family assumes that he is ineligible for Medicaid.


Recalling that their aunt – who only owned a car and several stocks and bonds – was unable to be approved for Medicaid when she required care, convinces them not to even waste their time applying.

Thus, they continue spending upward of $2,000 each month for a live-in caretaker, while pushing through the days and weeks until they’d be forced to pay the astronomical fees involved in nursing home care.

The Complexity of Medicaid Eligibility Criteria

What Sam’s family, among many other families struggling with the costs involved in caring for an aging, loved one, fails to realize is that there are different types of care available through Medicaid and that each category of income and assets are evaluated differently. Read on to discover more with Senior Planning.

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Medicaid Connecticut Medicaid Made Simple Medicaid Massachusetts Medicaid New Jersey Medicaid New York Medicaid Pennsylvania Medicaid Rhode Island

Medicaid Recertification

Why is Medicaid recertification important and how do you navigate the process?

After a lengthy application and approval process, your aging loved one has finally been approved for Medicaid. A huge financial burden is lifted, and you are now free to focus on other vital aspects of their elderly, such as hiring a caregiver, Implementing safety precautions, and deciding what level of care is best for their specific needs.

You can stop submitting endless amounts of paperwork to your application. You should heave a sigh of relief. But, you should not discard any communication you receive from Medicaid.
Eligibility for Medicaid is recertified periodically. And although it is usually a simple process, Medicaid recertification is important to take care of in a timely manner to ensure there is no gap in coverage. Find out all you need to know about Medicaid recertification from Senior Planning, experts in Medicaid applications.

Reasons for Renewal//What should you know?

Categories
Medicaid Made Simple

10 Common reasons you may be denied Medicaid

Frustrated Medicaid, a federal and state program that provides health coverage benefits to many people, including senior citizens, covers basic health care costs and long-term care – care provided in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

Many seniors rely on their Medicaid benefits for their long-term care. The prospect of having a Medicaid application denied can induce anxiety as loss of these benefits can be financially devastating.

Senior Planning, experts in the Medicaid process, detail ten reasons your loved one’s application may be denied and steps to take to best ensure it doesn’t happen. 

1. Incomplete Application or Documents.

If you’ve ever applied for anything through a government agency, you’ve heard the refrain – Make sure to bring all your paperwork!  That’s certainly true for the Medicaid application which requires the submission of extensive documentation.

 Aside from providing proof of age, identity, marital status and citizenship, there are numerous financial documents necessary, including: bank statements, investment account statements, life insurance policy information, asset and other property information, tax returns and retirement income information. These required documents for the Medicaid application are used to determine financial eligibility and are an essential part of the process.  Don’t leave home without them!

For a full checklist of required documentation, please refer to the Senior Planning website www.seniorplanning.com/document-checklist

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