What You Need To Know Right Now About Medical Assistance — 2012 Update
Medicaid And Medical Assistance Are Need Based
Medical Assistance Can Be Confusing
As we noted last year, What You Need To Know Right Now About Medicaid And Medical Assistance, Medical Assistance is a need-based program. Every state has its own Medicaid program. Minnesota calls its Medicaid program Medical Assistance. Medical Assistance provides health care coverage for financially eligible Minnesota residents who meet one or more criteria.
These criteria are evolving to better keep up with our times. This article updates those criteria so that you can better serve your family and loved ones.
The current income limit for a one-person household is 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG,) which is currently $908 per month. People with income over 100% of the FPG may yet be eligible by spending down to 75% of the FPG, which is currently $681 per month. The income limit for a household of two is currently $1,227 per month. Households of two with income over 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines may still be eligible by spending down to 75% of the FPG, which is currently $920.
A resident of a long term care facility must:
- Pay all of his/her income to the nursing home
- Less allowable deductions
- Including a $89 personal needs allowance ($90 for certain veterans and spouses of veterans,) and
- An allowance for payment of medical insurance premiums
A community spouse is entitled to a spousal allocation to bring his or her income to $1,040 a month, or up to $2,739 if shelter costs are greater than $552 per month. Medical Assistance pays the rest of the long term care costs.
Medicaid And Medical Assistance Can Be Confusing
We are here to make the confusing understandable. WL Brown Law is available to answer your questions and to help you make sound decisions regarding elder law.
Call Now
Answer Your Medical Assistance Question: 612-309-9184
