New Jersey State Senator (and former Governor) Richard Codey has proposed that NJ Medicaid reimburse doctors and nurses for advanced care planning. That is, meeting with a patient to discuss what sort of medical treatment she wants at the end of her life, and setting forth those preferences in legal and medical documents like advanced […]
President Obama’s 2016 budget proposes extending Social Security spousal benefits to married same-sex couples, regardless of whether same-sex marriage is recognized in the state in which they live. Under current law, same-sex couples can only obtain spousal benefits if they live in a state that recognizes their marriage. “This means that for a couple that […]
New Jersey Medicaid recently began permitting the use of Miller trusts (aka Qualified Income Trusts). People with incomes above the Medicaid income limit (currently $2,199) can use a Miller trust to qualify for Medicaid in a nursing home, assisted living facility or in the community with home care aides. While Miller trusts are an excellent […]
The New York Times ran an article today on nursing homes filing for guardianship over incapacitated residents in an effort to collect on nursing home bills, even when other family members are available to serve as guardian. The Times article covered a woman with a dementia in a Manhattan nursing home that filed to have […]
At the end of 2014, the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act became law in the United States, allowing people with disabilities to create ABLE accounts. ABLE accounts allow a person who became disabled before age 26 to create a special bank account. Money in the account is not counted towards Medicaid and SSI […]
