Category Archives: Veteran’s Benefits

Content related to Veteran’s (VA) benefits.

JANUARY, 2010 ELDER LAW TODAY NEWSLETTER

VA BENEFITS MAY COVER THE COST OF AN ASSITED LIVING FACILITY OR IN HOME CARE www.WalnutCreekElderLaw.com. As we discussed in previous Elder Law Today newsletters, the Veteran’s Administration provides a wonderful pension benefit for those individuals who served at least one day during a period of wartime and are now disabled due to non-service connected […]

Assets which are exempt or not counted for Medi-Cal Qualification

     Certain assets are generally exempt, or not counted, for Medi-Cal eligibility. The following is a partial list of exempt assets. There are, of course, rules affecting each of these items. As a result, please consult your elder law attorney. One automobile is exempt for qualification. Many people think that if they have two cars, […]

VA AID AND ATTENDANCE BENEFITS

VA AID AND ATTENDANCE BENEFITS             The VA Aid and Attendance pension benefit program is provided by the Veterans Administration to veterans and their surviving spouses. This benefit helps to pay for in-home care, assisted living facility and nursing home costs. There are income and asset requirements for qualification. When we plan for the VA Aid […]

SPENDING DOWN AND GIFTING ASSETS FOR MEDI-CAL QUALIFICATION

             For Medi-Cal eligibility, the single applicant must have no more than $2,000 in non-exempt assets in her name. If you just give away your assets, without proper planning, and you want to enter a nursing home, you may create a period of ineligibility for Med-Cal. The ineligibility period begins at the date of the […]

THE MEDI-CAL IMPOVERISHED SPOUSE STATUTES

For Medi-Cal qualification, the community spouse (well spouse) is allowed to have $109,560 (in 2009) in non-exempt, or countable assets. This is called the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, or CSRA, which increases yearly based upon the Consumer Price Index. Only non-exempt assets are counted for the CSRA. As a result, IRA’s in the name of […]

What If You Die After Having Been On Medi-Cal?

If you die after having been on Medi-Cal, the State can pursue a claim against your estate for recoupment of the money they paid to the nursing home. But, if there are no assets in your estate when you die, there will be nothing for the State to recover. The State will not pursue a […]

Our Clients and Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a brain disorder, wherein certain nerve cells in the brain become impaired or die. These nerve cells, called “neurons” normally produce a chemical known as dopamine. This chemical allows for smooth, coordinated functions of the body’s muscles and movements. When a high percentage of the brain cells which produce dopamine are impaired, […]

For Home Health Agencies: Important News on a US Government Program That Can Help Pay Your Clients’ In-Home Healthcare Costs

If you run a home health agency, you probably feel like you are wearing a hundred different hats, from finding the right employees,  to dealing with all of the issues they bring with them. Moreover, you are communicating with clients who are stressed out and who are wondering how they are going to be able to pay for your valuable services. Did you […]

Major Changes To the Medi-Cal Laws Pending

October 27, 2009  Major Changes To the Medi-Cal Laws Pending By: Michael J. Young Elder Law Attorney               Governor Schwarzenegger recently signed the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) into law in California. The law has not yet taken effect, but when it does take effect, within the next several months, there will be major changes […]

Common Myths about Medi-Cal

Common Myths about Medi-Cal:   Medicaid, which is called “Medi-Cal” in California, was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri on July 30, 1965. This is part of President Johnson’s “Great Society.” It is a national program, which is administered by each state. The rules and regulations change constantly, and […]