Medi-Cal Eliminates the Asset Test in 2024 for Long-Term Care Medi-Cal: A Game-Changer for Californians
As of January 1, 2024, Medi-Cal no longer factors in assets such as bank accounts, cash, second vehicles, and homes when determining eligibility. This monumental shift holds particularly promising news for those in the Long-Term Care Medi-Cal program, especially those residing in skilled nursing facilities. The old myth that “you could only have $2,000.00 in your name” has now been relegated to history. Embracing a New Era of Accessible Health Care Gone are the days when individuals had to navigate the complex landscape of asset tests and “spend down”, potentially denying them the health care coverage they desperately needed. The ... Read More
Understanding Trusts and Their Benefits to Vulnerable Seniors
The elderly are highly vulnerable to financial abuse and scams. Sadly, the elderly are often taken advantage of by strangers — and sometimes even their own family members. That’s why it’s important that planning is in place to help seniors protect themselves and their assets. As we age, it can become increasingly difficult to manage our assets. Most of us will, at some point, need assistance with these details to help ensure that our financial and other assets aren’t depleted. If you or an aging loved one are looking for ways to safeguard assets, a Trust is often the best ... Read More
Medi-Cal Eligibility & Nursing Home Care
You might want to think again if you believed Medi-Cal planning meant only meeting strict income and asset limits to qualify for long-term care. Medi-Cal eligibility can be challenging because the criteria are not always clear. You will also need to demonstrate you need the level of care typically provided in a nursing home setting. Health eligibility rules are valid if you apply for nursing home coverage or a Medi-Cal waiver program for coverage in your home or assisted living facility. California has a level of care requirement and criteria to determine if you meet the mandated level of care. ... Read More
Drastic Updates to California’s End of Life Option Act
California is one of only five states in the United States that offers medical aid in dying to the critically ill who qualify. The End of Life Option Act was signed into California legislature on October 5, 2015. The law was enacted in June 2016, thereby officially allowing terminally ill adult residents to access medical aid in dying by self-administering lethal drugs, provided certain prerequisites were met. Although the new legislation granted immense relief to many, it also contained numerous “safeguards” that became major obstacles for patients eligible for medical aid in dying. Patients who met the criteria for California’s ... Read More
Should Your Children Pay for Your Health Care?
It’s not news that nursing-care is costing an arm and a leg for Americans and a crisis is looming. Costs can run, on average, over $10,000.00 per month in California. Hundreds of thousands of people presently need that kind of care and the numbers are rising. Ten thousand “baby boomers” a day turn 65, and it’s projected that seven of ten of those people will need long-term care. By astute Long-Term Care estate planning, Botti & Morison Estate Planning Attorneys, Ltd., reduces or eliminates the impact of such phenomenal costs on many families’ life savings. But many others who are ... Read More
