Mecaid Denial or Delay?

8 Top Reasons This Takes Place


1. TOO MUCH MONEY
Medicaid has strict limits on how much an individual, and if applicable, their spouse can have. Being even slightly over can cause one to be denied. However, with proper and careful planning, certain assets can be protected.
Never assume that you or your loved one is ineligible because of too much money.  We have shown many people that they could protect assets even within the “5 year lookback” or at the very end!

2. INCOME TOO HIGH
Since Florida is an “Income Cap State” there is no flexibility when it comes to being over income. All income, no matter where it is from, counts.

3. INCOME TRUST NOT PROPERLY FUNDED
An income trust is the only solution for being “over income”. Having the trust is only step one. An account for the income trust must be established and every penny that is over the income cap limit must go through this trust. If not, the applicant is denied for that month.

4. FILING TOO EARLY
If you are not eligible for Medicaid when you file, your application will be denied.

5. FILING TOO LATE
Medicaid will go back up to 90 days only as long as the applicant was eligible during that period, but not any longer.

6. INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS OR DOCUMENTS
Now it is more important than ever to have a complete packet when filing your Medicaid application. Once the packet is filed, if it is incomplete Medicaid will ask for additional information. It used to be that they would wait as long as they knew you were trying to get the additional information; now they are quick to deny if follow-up information is not filed quickly.

7. PHYSICIAN’S STATEMENT
If not completed properly, and signed & dated by the physician, the Medicaid application can be denied. Filers should stop and fully review before sending in forms completed by others.

8. FAILUE TO QUICKLY ANSWER FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS
Once the application is filed, if Medicaid has questions, they will send a letter requiring a response within 10 days. That’s 10 days from when they send, not when you receive the letter. Some will allow an extension but gone are the days when applicants could extend several times. We find it best to collect as much as possible, BEFORE filing the application.

Happy Fall Everyone!  Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable October,

April

April Hill

Founder, Board Certified Elder Law Attorney

Hill Law Group