Category Archives: Brentwood Nursing Home Attorney

Changes Are Coming For VA A&A Qualification

New changes are in the works which may make it more difficult to qualify for the VA Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit. This benefit, for older war time veterans or their surviving spouses, has been very helpful for some of our clients, to help them pay for their long term care costs. A single veteran […]

Consider a Line of Credit On Your Home

The home is usually our clients’ most valuable asset. For Medi-Cal planning purposes, we have discussed in previous blogs how you can set up your Long Term Care Plan to ensure that you can transfer your home to your spouse or to you children without Medi-Cal penalty, and at the same time protect your home […]

Medi-Cal Covers “Skilled Nursing Facilities”

It seems that many people are under the assumption that Medi-Cal pays for all kinds of housing for an older persons. This is not the case. Medi-Cal pays for nursing home care in “skilled nursing facilities.” There must be a doctor’s order that the applicant’s stay in the nursing home is “medically necessary.” The applicant […]

April 2015 CA Medi-Cal Quick Reference Guide (APPR Change)

The State of California has changed the Average Private Pay Rate – Divestment Penalty Divisor (APPR) for Medi-Cal qualification for 2015. A brief listing of the Medi-Cal qualification requirements with this change is set forth below: Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) $119,220 This is the amount that the community, or (at home) well spouse can retain in […]

Will Medi-Cal Let Me Make Gifts To My Wife Without Penalty?

Will Medi-Cal Let Me Make Gifts To My Wife Without Penalty? YES!  For qualification for Medi-Cal, there is presently a 30 month look back period for making gifts. But this look back period does not apply between spouses. We have discussed in previous blogs how to properly transfer the home between spouses in order to […]

Will Medi-Cal Take My Home?

We often receive calls in our office from people asking, “Is Medi-Cal going to take my home?” The answer to this question should be NO through proper long term care planning with your elder law attorney. To understand the issues involved, we must first look at the Medi-Cal regulations. In addition we must confirm that […]

What assets can you keep when qualifying for Medi-Cal?

What assets can you keep when qualifying for Medi-Cal? Your Home: Your home is generally exempt, or not counted, in determining eligibility for Medi-Cal. The Medi-Cal applicant, or their representative, must express an intent to return home. This is confirmed on the Medi-Cal application. It is also confirmed when you execute your estate planning documents […]

Final Expense Trust For No Fee

As part of your long term care planning, you can also plan ahead for payment of funeral costs. You can put an amount you decide on into an “irrevocable final expense trust” which will pay for funeral and related costs at the time of your passing. The money you put into the final expense trust […]

More On Alternative Long Term Care Insurance Options for Baby Boomers

In our last post we discussed how many of our Baby Boomer clients have looked into buying long term care insurance, but have decided against the purchase because of various reasons. Some feel that the cost is too high, or they don’t like the idea that if you don’t use it, you lose most of […]

Little Known Law May Help Seniors Pay for Long Term Care

On August 17, 2006, the President signed into law The Pension Protection Act of 2006. This law, which came into effect in 2010, can be very helpful to Baby Boomers and older clients who are looking for ways to private pay for long term care without coming up with additional funds. Many of our clients […]