"In New Jersey, the income limit for a single applicant for Nursing Home Medicaid in 2025 is $2,901 per month. This limit applies to assisted living services and in-home care."
If your Mom's monthly income is less than the $2901, then she is OK and yes Medicaid requires she offset the cost of her care. The problem comes if she goes over that $2901. Then she will need a Miller trust. This is where the overage goes into the trust so she can qualify. Upon her passing the Trust will revert back to Medicaid.
NJ only allows $2000 in assets. So if she has any savings, they need to be spent down. My Mom had 20k that I spent down by paying privately for two months in the NH. This gave me time to apply and get Medicaid all the information need. The 3rd month, Mom was on Medicaid.
I had made an appt with a Medicaid caseworker and he helped me alot.
It all goes to pay for her care. It doesn't go to Medicaid. Medicaid in fact GIVES, doesn't take away. So your mother pays out of her income all she can, and Medicaid picks up the rest. Given that care amounts to about 5K minimally per month, Mom's funds pay for it and then Medicaid pays the rest.
You need to see an attorney I think to figure this out. Mom, with two pensions and SS may not even qualify for Medicaid. However, given she is monthly cash rich, it still won't be enough to pay a nursing home. So she may need a Miller or Q.I.T. Trust to handle some of the money so she isn't so "income rich" but "asset poor". That sort of trust puts a portion of her income away into a trust, and the beneficiary of that trust is the government, which will do clawback on any assets left at her death, be it this trust or a home or a car.
So your mom goes in self pay at first with her income monthly and with her assets in bank accounts. When she hasn't enough for the monthly fee she applies to Medicaid and if she has too much monthly income to do so then she would need to see an attorney about those trusts.
It is all HIGHLY confusing. Not a DIY thing. I would seek help from a Medicaid Counselor or an attorney. Best of luck to you.
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If your Mom's monthly income is less than the $2901, then she is OK and yes Medicaid requires she offset the cost of her care. The problem comes if she goes over that $2901. Then she will need a Miller trust. This is where the overage goes into the trust so she can qualify. Upon her passing the Trust will revert back to Medicaid.
NJ only allows $2000 in assets. So if she has any savings, they need to be spent down. My Mom had 20k that I spent down by paying privately for two months in the NH. This gave me time to apply and get Medicaid all the information need. The 3rd month, Mom was on Medicaid.
I had made an appt with a Medicaid caseworker and he helped me alot.
It doesn't go to Medicaid.
Medicaid in fact GIVES, doesn't take away.
So your mother pays out of her income all she can, and Medicaid picks up the rest. Given that care amounts to about 5K minimally per month, Mom's funds pay for it and then Medicaid pays the rest.
You need to see an attorney I think to figure this out. Mom, with two pensions and SS may not even qualify for Medicaid. However, given she is monthly cash rich, it still won't be enough to pay a nursing home. So she may need a Miller or Q.I.T. Trust to handle some of the money so she isn't so "income rich" but "asset poor". That sort of trust puts a portion of her income away into a trust, and the beneficiary of that trust is the government, which will do clawback on any assets left at her death, be it this trust or a home or a car.
So your mom goes in self pay at first with her income monthly and with her assets in bank accounts. When she hasn't enough for the monthly fee she applies to Medicaid and if she has too much monthly income to do so then she would need to see an attorney about those trusts.
It is all HIGHLY confusing. Not a DIY thing. I would seek help from a Medicaid Counselor or an attorney. Best of luck to you.
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