No one likes to sit down at the dinner table and talk about what happens when a parent or spouse can no longer live independently. It’s uncomfortable, emotional, and easy to push off to "tomorrow." But waiting for a medical crisis to dictate your long-term care...
We meet the lifetime legal needs of children and adults with disabilities, the elderly, and their families.
Medicaid Planning
How to stay organized when applying for Medicaid
The Medicaid application process can feel daunting, because it often involves gathering of documents and completing a significant amount of paperwork. But with a little organization, you can navigate the process with greater confidence. Being prepared keeps things...
How To Shield Assets From Medicaid Spend Down
Long-term care is extremely expensive, and many Americans rely on Medicaid to pay for it. A Medicaid spend down is a financial strategy used when an individual has too many assets to qualify for Medicaid. To be accepted into Medicaid, assets (bank accounts,...
Alphabet Soup – An Overview of Public Benefit Programs
On March 11, 2023, Hickman Lowder Attorneys Ethan A. Welch and George O. Aljoe hosted the webinar, Alphabet Soup – An Overview of Public Benefit Programs. They discussed public benefits that may be available for your family such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI),...
Making Your Medicaid Application Easier
If you or someone you know has needed long-term care or nursing home care, you have probably heard horror stories about Medicaid applications. Unfortunately, reports of how difficult, lengthy, and burdensome applying for long-term care Medicaid are often all too true. Long-term care (nursing home, assisted living, and in-home care) Medicaid has strict financial limits, and requires providing up to…
Nursing Home Medicaid Applications: What You Need to Know About Eligibility
If you or a loved one need nursing home care or long-term care in the home, the thought of applying for Medicaid to secure that care is daunting. Try Googling “Medicaid Application” and you’ll find thousands of results that are essentially worthless. Here are some points to know, if you are faced with applying for long-term Medicaid to pay for…
How to Protect Your Home in a Medicaid Application
For most people, the home is their most important asset, for many reasons, but primarily because it might be their largest valued asset financially and sentimentally. Whether you want the home to stay in the family or want the value of the home to pass on to family, this is a discussion I often have with clients who are contemplating…
Medicaid Denials: Appealing Unfavorable Decisions
The Medicaid application process is difficult and time consuming. The highly complex rules can trip up even the most careful of applicants. Even the county caseworkers who process Medicaid can make mistakes, misunderstand the rules, or even lose your application all together! So, what happens if Medicaid denies your application? Medicaid eligibility decisions are first made at the county level.…
Attorney George Aljoe Answers Commonly Asked Medicaid Questions
George Aljoe spoke with WINT radio’s podcast “Our Aging World” where he answered commonly asked questions surrounding Medicaid. Listen HERE
Consider a Medicaid Compliant Annuity When Facing a Long-Term Care Event
The Medicaid Act permits individuals, who are seeking Medicaid assistance, to pay for nursing home care by purchasing a Medicaid compliant annuity. These annuities can be used to protect a spouse that is still living in the community from poverty or can be used to transfer wealth to loved ones upon death. Let’s look at how these annuities can help…