A New Jersey appeals court rules that the state properly rejected a Medicaid application because the appropriate verifications were not provided, preventing the state from determining whether the applicant’s property and life insurance policy were available resources. A.T. v. Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (N.J. Super. Ct., App. Div., No. A-3341-13T3, Nov. 23, 2015).
A.T. entered a nursing home and her son, S.T., applied for Medicaid on her behalf. The state requested verification regarding A.T.’s bank account statements, the deed for property she owned, and proof that a life insurance policy had been liquidated. S.T. did not provide the requested verifications, and the state denied Medicaid benefits. After selling A.T.’s property and converting the life insurance policy to an irrevocable trust, S.T. again applied for benefits on A.T.’s behalf, and the state approved the application.
After the nursing home filed a complaint against A.T. and S.T. for non-payment of services, S.T. appealed the original denial of Medicaid benefits. A hearing officer ruled that the original application was properly denied due to lack of verification. S.T. appealed to court, arguing that the state did not distinguish which documents were necessary to make an eligibility determination.
The New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, affirms the original denial of Medicaid benefits. According to the court, the state could not determine whether the property and life insurance policy were available resources until it received the requested verifications.
