"Taking the Mystery Out of Medicaid …

Truth about Texas Medicaid Eligibility and
Texas Veteran Benefits."

* Information for Texas Residents Only

FACT: You do NOT have to “lose everything first!”

Big Misconception #1:

For Nursing Home Care: “You have to lose everything  first before you can become eligible for Medicaid financial assistance.”

THE FACTS:

A person, approved for Medicaid assistance in Texas, can own:

1. A home, valued up to $500,000.00;
2.  a car, of any value;
3.  an irrevocable funeral plan and a burial plot;
4. a cash value life insurance policy, if the original death benefit is $1,500.00 or less; …and still be eligible for Medicaid assistance!!!

The “real” Medicaid Eligibility problems occur in two (2) Primary areas:

I)  Income, and

II) “Countable” Resources

Of these two, THE BIGGEST problem area occurs with what Medicaid calls “Countable” Resources. The maximum limit for Medicaid eligibility is Total Countable assets of $2,000. This is where families are told to “spend everything down to $2,000.00 (or less) by paying for the loved one’s care at the nursing home.”

With Texas nursing home costs running UP TO $63,875.00 per year for room and board alone, many families “lose it all first” TO NURSING HOME BILLS because they don’t know that there are other options and ways to legally follow the Medicaid Code, to “spend down” assets, and protect significant amounts of the family Life savings.

Big Misconception #2:

For Home Care and Assisted living care, again,  “you have to lose it all first” before receiving any financial assistance.

THE FACTS:

1). There are specific financial assistance programs for Texas Veterans for home care and for assisted living care.

2). There are specific planning steps that Non-Veterans can enact to receive additional home care and Assisted living benefits.

VETERANS BENEFITS FACTS:

If you are over age 65 and an Honorably Discharged Veteran needing help paying home health care, help with assisted living expenses or help with the cost of nursing home care, or you are a widow/widower of an honorably discharged Veteran, you may qualify for the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Pension Benefits Program. Qualifying applicants may receive a pension or survivor’s benefits, plus additional money to pay for medicine. These benefits may total up to $22,000 per year, tax-free.

The veteran or the veteran’s widow/widower must meet five requirements:

1. The veteran has to have served in the military for one day while at war.

2 They must have served in the military for 90 days

3.They must have received better than a dishonorable discharge

4. They must be homebound (meaning that the veteran or veteran’s widow/widower essentially requires full-time care and cannot leave home without assistance).

5. The veteran or the widow must need assistance with activities of daily living.

NON-VETERAN HOME CARE and ASSISTED LIVING FACTS:

1. There is a specific Medicaid program---Community Based Alternatives (CBA) and a Texas Medicaid-related program-Primary Home Care (PHC) designed to help “qualified” individuals to receive additional skilled and unskilled assistance (up to 50 hours per week) at home or at their assisted living facility.

2)  Individuals with “too much” money, (over $2,000 in savings) can become eligible for one of the programs above, if they do proper financial and legal planning while they are in a Medicare rehabilitation, temporary, short-term visit at a Texas Nursing Home.

You do NOT have to “lose everything first!”

* This article was provided by Seniors Financial Solutions, specializing in Texas Medicaid Planning, Veterans Benefits and Estate Planning.

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