Readers of this blog know that when he time comes to apply for New Jersey’s Medicaid/MLTSS program for either home care, assisted living care of nursing home care, a daunting array of proofs is required. The burden to prove eligibility is placed on the applicant. Every single expenditure made by the applicant and their spouse during the previous 5 years is open for scrutiny, to see if it was really an expenditure or if it was actually a gift to somebody else. Every check written, every auto-debit, every wire transaction, every cash withdrawal is questioned. Many kinds of transactions are presumed to be gifts unless the applicant can prove otherwise. People who share their residence with other family members may find this process particularly hard to unravel because of the intertwined sharing of expenses. People who never managed the applicant’s affairs but are now stepping in may find it impossible to answer the hundreds of questions that are posed to them by the agency.
So save your selfies, save your receipts, save your letters and invoices and proofs that you took trips and excursions. Take pictures of your big purchases, and pictures of your caregivers. Keep detailed records of everything, as well as copies of all financial records and cancelled checks. Find your insurance policies, deeds, mortgage payment receipts, and keep them with these records. Make sure your “trusted someone” knows where they can find all these proofs when necessary. Banks are charging exorbitant fees to produce copies of statements and checks, so elect to receive statements & cancelled checks or make sure you receive them electronically. It seems you can never have too much proof. Collect and save the medical records. Save all of this for at least a five year period on an ongoing basis.
Forewarned is forearmed. The grueling MLTSS application process can be just a bit easier if you retain your records.
Call us for help with Medicaid applications for long term care ……. 732-382-6070