Dear Liz: I have an update about a recent question in your column. A reader wrote that they had been low income but had recently inherited $175,000. You noted that Medicaid has strict asset limits. Actually, that is no longer the case in California, where Medicaid is known as Medi-Cal. I just received literature from it that says, “A new law means assets will not be counted during Medi-Cal renewals.”
Answer: Again, quite right! Some other states have increased asset limits for Medicaid, the government health program for the poor, but California is the first to remove asset limits entirely as of January 2024.
This column appears in different states, which can vary dramatically in their laws and policies. That’s why I constantly suggest getting personalized advice from attorneys, tax pros and financial planners. A column can dispense general education but can’t offer individualized advice tailored to the realities of where you live.
Dear Liz: I’m writing to let readers know that it may take a long time for widowed spouses to receive their deceased spouse’s Social Security benefits for the last month. My husband died in early March, and I mailed the Form to Social Security (SSA) in early April. I have been waiting for his February benefits for months. Finally, after asking my U.S. Representative to help me, I was asked to take my marriage license to my local SSA office. (The license had not been requested from me by letter or the form I submitted.) I finally received the February benefits in my bank account yesterday (August 15, 2024). Despite several phone calls to the SSA in the past few months, no one could tell me why it was taking so long to receive the final benefits. I did, however, receive the $255 death benefit within 2 weeks of applying.
I’m so sorry it took that long, but glad you asked your Congressional representative to help. They can often move mountains (or bureaucracies, which can be even harder to budge).