We worked with a Medicaid professional. It wasn’t a lawyer, it was someone who specialized in getting people approved and acted on the persons behalf. It cost $4,000 but was worth it
If it is forms and such you are having problems with I wonder if getting a few sessions with a Licensed Social Worker in private counseling practice might not be of more help and much less cost than an attorney.
Do you have POA ……we just went the process with our aunt and did not have any POAs which made things a bit more difficult. After a lot of going back and forth and a lot of paperwork 10 months to be exact it finally got approved
Please try to explain more about your parent's financial situation. If there are no property holdings and limited assets, it doesn't cost anything to get Medicaid approval. You don't have to pay for an attorney. If however parent owns property and has significant savings accounts or insurance policies, it is well worth it to pay an attorney to guide you through the process. Parent will have to spend down assets anyway for Medicaid approval, so hiring the attorney will be part of that. You yourself should not be spending 1 cent of your own money, I hope you are not doing that. Try to explain what trouble you are having, and we will help.
What are you doing to get Mom eligible for Medicaid? Does she have a home, if so that and a car are exempt assets while she is living. NJ asset limit is 2k. Thats all she can have. I would get a list of assets that are exempt but it comes down to she needs to spend what she has to receive medicaid. Her monthly income, SS and pension cannot exceed $2523. Nj does allow for Miller Trust. Any overage will be deposited there. A lawyer is needed to set one up. If she has an insurance policy that has cash value, it will need to be cashed in. Medicaid allows for prepaid funerals.
The easiest way to spend down assets is to use them for care in LTC and then transition into Medicaid. All my Mom had was her home, SS and sm pension. She was in an AL and down to 20k. I started the application in April, placed Mom May 1st, she paid May and June which spent down her money. In June I called her caseworker to verify Mom was spent down and he had received all info needed. Her Medicaid started July 1st. NJ only gives you 90 days from application to complete everything. Spend down, info provided and a place picked out.
I did have an Elder Lawyer because of Moms house. It was in bad condition and getting worse as it sat there. He was hired mainly to negotiate with Medicaid if I could not get Market Value. His retainer was 5k. He was there when I had my appt with the caseworker. The caseworker filled out the application on his computer. I supplied all the info needed. The lawyer did help me with getting Mom placed but again, I did all the foot work. I did not think it was all that bad.
What are you doing to get Mom eligible for Medicaid? Does she have a home, if so that and a car are exempt assets while she is living. NJ asset limit is 2k. Thats all she can have. I would get a list of assets that are exempt but it comes down to she needs to spend what she has to receive medicaid. Her monthly income, SS and pension cannot exceed $2523. Nj does allow for Miller Trust. Any overage will be deposited there. A lawyer is needed to set one up.
If she has an insurance policy that has cash value, it will need to be cashed in. Medicaid allows for prepaid funerals.
The easiest way to spend down assets is to use them for care in LTC and then transition into Medicaid. All my Mom had was her home, SS and sm pension. She was in an AL and down to 20k. I started the application in April, placed Mom May 1st, she paid May and June which spent down her money. In June I called her caseworker to verify Mom was spent down and he had received all info needed. Her Medicaid started July 1st. NJ only gives you 90 days from application to complete everything. Spend down, info provided and a place picked out.
I did have an Elder Lawyer because of Moms house. It was in bad condition and getting worse as it sat there. He was hired mainly to negotiate with Medicaid if I could not get Market Value. His retainer was 5k. He was there when I had my appt with the caseworker. The caseworker filled out the application on his computer. I supplied all the info needed. The lawyer did help me with getting Mom placed but again, I did all the foot work. I did not think it was all that bad.