Medicaid Planning Strategies

'Nursing Home Compare,' the government Web site that disseminates information about conditions in individual nursing homes, has major flaws that can mislead families seeking a safe facility, according to a Congressional report. More . . .

A draft federal report showing that nine out of 10 U.S. nursing homes are understaffed is now available for download from the Web. More . . .

The Court of Appeals of Iowa has ruled that a trust that terminates if it causes a Medicaid applicant to be denied benefits should still be counted among the applicant's assets. More . . .

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing states to use what is known as the "income-first" rule. Because of this decision, depending on the state, a community spouse of a Medicaid recipient could quickly be thrown into poverty...

Medicaid 101

A California court says that a nursing home was largely responsible for the injuries of a resident who accidentally set himself on fire while smoking. Lawson v. Skyline Healthcare Center (Cal. Ct. App., 2 App. Dist., B142164, Oct. 3, 2001)...

More than 100 financial planning calculators are now available at the American Savings Education Council's Web site. The calculators can help with a wide array of financial planning issues, including retirement planning, credit, home mortgages, and budgeting.

On Thursday, June 14, the Bush administration announced that it would rename the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Two U.S. District Courts have rejected the Eastern District of Michigan's ruling that private individuals who believe they are not receiving proper benefits under their state's Medicaid program cannot sue state officials.

Health Care Financing Administration Transmittal No. 64, November 1994 (Medicaid)...