Families preparing for the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS) often look for the most affordable way of getting help. Many incorrectly believe that a document preparer is cheaper than an attorney. While we strongly agree that cost is an important factor to consider, there are many additional factors to think about when looking for assistance with the ALTCS program. The Arizona Code of Judicial Administration § 7-208 (A) defines a legal document preparer as “an individual or business entity certified to prepare or provide legal documents, without the supervision of an attorney, for an entity or a member of
Archive for the ‘ALTCS’ Category
Why Use an Arizona Attorney Over a Document Preparer?
14 May 2012 by admin | ALTCS, Right to the Point | Comments offReverse Mortgages & ALTCS
6 April 2012 by admin | ALTCS, Right to the Point | Comments offWhat is a Reverse Mortgage? A reverse mortgage is a special type of mortgage which allows a homeowner (aged 62 or over) to borrow against the value of their home. Loan proceeds are received according to the payment plan selected. This can vary significantly from policy to policy. Unlike traditional mortgages or home equity loans, no repayment of the reverse mortgage is required until the owner no longer occupies the home as a principal residence. At the time, the loan, including interests and all costs is due and payable, usually by the sale of the home. Reverse Mortgage impact on
Avoid Medicaid Fraud in Arizona
9 February 2012 by admin | ALTCS, Right to the Point | Comments offAs responsible stewards of the ALTCS dollars, it is all of our responsibility to make sure that the program dollars are being utilized correctly. It is also important that we are advocates, and give correct information and access to services to our clients utilizing the ALTCS program. Understanding and watching for Medicaid Fraud is an important part of our responsibility. The False Claim Act is a federal statute which prohibits the defrauding of federally funded programs. Under the False Claim Act severe civil penalties are given to anybody who commits Medicaid fraud. Any person who makes a false claim to
New 2012 ALTCS Numbers
10 January 2012 by admin | ALTCS, Right to the Point | Comments offThe ALTCS financial requirements are quite complex and it is not uncommon for applicants to struggle with this portion of the eligibility process. Many applicants reach out to professionals, like the JacksonWhite Elder Law Department to help them arrange their financial affairs. Every 6 months the ALTCS financial requirements are evaluated. Effective January 1, 2012, there have been a few changes to note. ALTCS Financial Requirements*: Monthly Income Limit for an Individual $2,094 Resource Limit for an Individual $2,000 Maximum Community Spouse Resource Allowance $113,640 Minimum Community Spouse Resource Allowance $22,728 Maximum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance $2,841 Minimum Monthly Maintenance
Coordinating ALTCS and VA Income
1 December 2011 by admin | ALTCS, Right to the Point, Veterans | Comments offWhen applying for ALTCS, the state mandates that an applicant must apply for any benefit they may be entitled to, in order to ensure that ALTCS is always payor of last resort. This means veterans or widowed spouses of veterans, are told they must also apply for VA benefits when they go through the ALTCS application process. Oftentimes, three to four months after eligibility for ALTCS occurs, recipients start receiving new income from newly acquired VA Wartime Pension and/or Aid & Attendance. If an ALTCS recipient is awarded Wartime Pension, plus Aid & Attendance, and as a result is over
Medicare vs. Medicaid
10 October 2011 by twhite | ALTCS, Medicare, Senior News | No CommentsIt is not uncommon for people to confuse Medicare with Medicaid. As a reminder, Medicare is an entitlement program that is available to everybody age 65 and older. There are four parts to Medicare: Part A, which covers hospital visits; Part B, which covers doctor’s visits; Part C, which is a managed care plan; and Part D, which covers prescription drugs. You may be asking yourself which part of Medicare covers long-term health care, and the answer to this question is that it really doesn’t. Medicare only covers the first 100 days of care in a long-term medical facility, although
Examine an ALTCS denial closely
30 September 2011 by twhite | ALTCS, Senior News | No CommentsIf you have recently applied for Arizona Medicaid, and were denied ALTCS eligibility, you do not have to take the denial at face value. In other words, there is always a possibility that you either qualify already, or that you are very close to qualifying for ALTCS Medicaid. Stories abound about ALTCS eligibility workers who make errors in determining eligibility, so your recent denial may in fact be an error. Further, it is not the job of an ALTCS eligibility worker to tell you how to engage in ALTCS planning, so you may be much closer to Arizona Medicaid eligibility
Passing the Arizona Medicaid PAS
7 September 2011 by twhite | ALTCS, Right to the Point | No CommentsALTCS Blog 13 Qualifying for ALTCS, the branch of Arizona Medicaid that provides long-term healthcare coverage, can be a difficult task, particularly if you have to arrange your finances to prepare for the application. If you have to engage in ALTCS planning to bring your assets or income below the allowable threshold, for instance, it can take months or even years to prepare yourself for ALTCS Medicaid. Wouldn’t it be disappointing if after this ALTCS planning, you still did not qualify for ALTCS Medicaid because you did not meet the medical requirements? As important as the ALTCS medical requirements
Dispelling an ALTCS planning myth
22 August 2011 by twhite | ALTCS | No CommentsAs you may know, Arizona Medicaid eligibility requirements are such that you cannot qualify for ALTCS Medicaid if you have more than $2,000 of resources or if your monthly income exceeds $2,022. What you might not know, however, is that these rules are by no means absolute, particularly when it comes to the income requirement. In fact, it might well be that some simple ALTCS planning could help you qualify for Arizona Medicaid even if your monthly income is substantially greater than $2,022. An income only trust is a great planning tool for those trying to obtain Arizona Medicaid eligibility,
True or False: AHCCCS No Longer Covers Medicare Part B Premiums
19 August 2011 by admin | ALTCS, Medicare, Right to the Point | Comments offUpdate on Medicare Part B Premiums You may have heard that as of October 1, 2011, AHCCCS will no longer cover Medicare Part B Premiums for certain ALTCS members. Once this goes into effect, approximately 10,000 ALTCS members will be affected. It is important to anticipate the fact that these members will receive a notice at the end of September advising them that AHCCCS will no longer pay for their Medicare Part B premiums. As you can see, this notification letter will raise some questions and concerns for your patients and/or residents. If the recipient is eligible for another AHCCCS
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