Estate Planning Awareness Week, October 21-27, 2019, is just around the corner. With a reported 60% of all adults not having an estate plan, now is the perfect time to educate your community why comprehensive estate planning is critical—and why you’re the perfect professional for the job!
The meaning of access to a financial account has recently been litigated in New Jersey. In a non-binding decision, the Superior Court of New Jersey disregarded the Medicaid applicant’s argument that she was physically and cognitively unable to access a joint account – ultimately leading to the inclusion of the resources against her for eligibility determination purposes.
Medicaid is a program that makes medical care payments on behalf of the needy. When applying for long-term care benefits, neediness depends upon the applicant’s income and resources – the ability to contribute to the cost of their own care. Which resources are countable vary amongst states.
The SECURE Act (“Act”) passed the House on May 23, 2019, with overwhelming bipartisan support (417-3), and the same was expected to occur in the Senate. Following Congress’ August recess, however, the bill remains stalled in the Senate, with some sources questioning whether it will ever become law. This update will provide a brief overview of key provisions of H.R. 1994 – the version of the Act approved by the House and received by the Senate on June 3, 2019 – and will discuss the provisions said to be causing the holdup in the Senate.