August 2019

Many people confuse “Medicaid” with “Medicare”. Medicaid, also referred to as Medical Assistance, is a state-operated program in compliance with federal guidelines. It was created in 1965 at the same time as Medicare in Pennsylvania. The Medicaid program is operated by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services through a series of field offices called County Assistance Offices. Medicaid and Medicare are separate programs. These programs were enacted by the federal government.

No, provided you qualify for Medicaid benefits when your funds are gone. That won’t happen if you give away your home or money without proper guidance from an elder law attorney. Medicaid benefits will also be denied and your spouse and children put at risk if an application is not properly documented.

Many people who apply for Medicaid benefits to pay for nursing home care ask this question.  For many, the home constitutes much or most of their life savings.  Often, it’s the only asset that a person has to pass on to his or her children. Under Medicaid regulations, the home is an excluded resource unless

Older Americans with a life insurance policy that they no longer need have the option to sell the policy to investors. These transactions, called "life settlements," can bring in needed cash, but are they a good idea? If your children are grown and your mortgage paid off, you may decide that there is no longer