A Petition for writ of certiorari in the case of Dermody v. Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services is pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. The issue is “Whether an annuity that satisfies the condition in 42 U.S.C. § 1396p(c)(2)(B)(i) determining the Medicaid eligibility of a married institutionalized person must name the state […]
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In American National Life Insurance Company v. Breslouf (Mass. Super. 6/3/2021), a Community Spouse named Julius Breslouf purchased a Medicaid annuity as part of the plan to secure Medicaid eligibility for his wife. The annuity named the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the remainder beneficiary, followed by his daughter, Jennifer Brouslouf. Mr. Breslouf died before the […]
Plaintiffs were a group of couples with one spouse in the nursing home and other spouse still in the community. In each case, the Community Spouse was the beneficiary of a Community Spouse Annuity Trust (“CSAT”). Some institutionalized spouses had been denied Medicaid, while others had applications pending. The Plaintiffs challenged the State’s treatment of […]
Robert and Josephine James were married when Robert went to the nursing home. A resource assessment was done and Medicaid determined they had $278,343 in available resources. To reduce their assets, Josephine purchased a $250,000 single premium immediate irrevocable annuity from General Electric Assurance Company. She then purchased a new vehicle for $8,550 and filed […]
The Georgia Supreme Court granted certiorari to consider whether the Court of Appeals properly interpreted 42 USC § 1396p with respect to whether a Medicaid applicant’s purchase of an annuity was subject to an asset transfer penalty. In this case, the Georgia Department of Human Services, Family and Children Services (“DFCS”) granted appellee Jerry L. […]
A community spouse purchased an actuarially sound single-premium irrevocable annuity for $250,000 for the purpose of spending down excess assets so her husband, a nursing home resident, would qualify for Medicaid. Pennsylvania denied eligibility, contending that the annuity was an available asset and that Medicaid eligibility could not be established until that asset was spent […]
