The rules and requirements for Medicaid eligibility for nursing home care are complicated and will vary according to the state your parent lives in. With that said, here is a simplified overview of the key requirements for qualifying.

Medicaid Eligibility

Medicaid, a joint federal and state program that provides healthcare for low-income individuals, is also the largest single payer of nursing home bills in the country. Some states have different names for their Medicaid program.

Most people who enter nursing homes do not qualify for Medicaid and, instead, pay for their care through long-term care insurance or out-of-pocket. Once an individual's insurance benefits end, or their savings become exhausted, they may become eligible for Medicaid.

To qualify for Medicaid, your parent's income and assets will need to be under a certain level that is determined by your state. Most states, with the exception of California and New York, require that a single person have no more than about $2,000 in countable assets and $3,000 for married couples when both spouses apply. The assets would include cash, savings, investments or other financial resources that can be turned into cash. New York allows for $31,175, while California eliminated its asset limit starting in 2024.

Assets excluded from eligibility include your parent's home provided its equity interest is within $713,000 or up to $1,071,000 in some states. Other non-countable assets include personal possessions and household goods, one vehicle, prepaid funeral plans and a small amount of life insurance.

Be aware that an applicant's home is not considered a countable asset to determine eligibility if a non-applicant spouse lives in the home, if the applicant lives in the home, or has an intent to return to the home. If the home is not exempt, an applicant may be required to sell it to use the proceeds to reimburse the nursing home costs.

After qualifying, all sources of your parent's income such as Social Security and pension checks must be turned over to Medicaid to pay for their care, except for a Personal Needs Allowance (PNA) which varies by state but is usually between $30 and $200 per month. The PNA is intended to cover the nursing home resident's personal expenses not covered by Medicaid.

You also need to be aware that your parent cannot give away assets to qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid officials will look at their financial records going back five years (except in California which has a 30-month look-back rule) to root out asset transfers. If they find one, any Medicaid coverage will be delayed a certain length of time, according to a formula that divides the transfer amount by the average monthly cost of nursing home care in their state.

Spousal Protection

Medicaid also has the Medicaid Community Spouse Resource Allowance for married couples when one spouse enters a nursing home, and the other spouse remains at home. In these cases, the non-applicant spouse can keep one half of the couple's assets up to $154,140 (this amount varies by state), the family home, the furniture and household goods and one automobile. The non-applicant spouse is also entitled to keep a portion of the couple's monthly income - between $2,465 and $3,854. Any income above that goes toward the cost of the nursing home recipient's care.

What about Medicare?

Medicare, the federal health insurance program for individuals 65 years and older, and younger individuals with disabilities, will not pay for long-term care. It only helps pay up to 100 days of skilled nursing facility care, which must occur after a hospital stay that lasts at least three consecutive days, not counting the day of discharge.

For more information, contact your state Medicaid office. You can also get help from your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (see ShipHelp.org), which provides free counseling on Medicare and Medicaid issues.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that 1.2 million taxpayers claimed more than $6 billion of residential clean energy tax credits. Over 2.3 million taxpayers received $2.1 billion in credits for home energy improvement projects.

The residential energy credit went to 750,000 homeowners who installed solar rooftop panels. About 700,000 taxpayers improved their homes with insulation or other types of energy enhancements.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated, "The law has lowered the cost of clean energy upgrades for more than 3.4 million American families, saving them hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars annually on their utility bills for many years to come."

The IRS website explains there are requirements and limits for home energy credits. There are also specific rules for the residential clean energy credit or the efficient home-improvement credit.

1. Home Energy Tax Credits — Homeowners may claim a credit for their primary residence. Some renters and owners of second homes may also qualify. The specific details on energy credits are explained on energy.gov. The residential clean energy credit generally involves solar, fuel cells or batteries and is 30% with no lifetime or annual limit from 2022 to 2032. For most taxpayers, the energy efficient home-improvement credit for 2023 through 2032 is 30% up to a maximum of $1,200. However, there is an additional potential $2,000 credit for heat pumps, biomass stoves and boilers.
2. Residential Clean Energy Credits — The nonrefundable residential clean energy credit is not limited, except for fuel cells. The fuel cell limit is $500 for each half kilowatt of capacity. The credit applies to both owners and renters of their main home. The credit is normally applied to solar photovoltaic panels, but may also include solar water heaters, wind turbines, geothermal heat pumps, fuel cells and battery storage. Homeowners who receive any rebates or subsidies will need to subtract those amounts from the qualified expenses. Battery storage qualifies if there is a capacity of 3 kilowatt hours or greater.
3. Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit — The efficient home credit is generally 30% up to $1,200 for most improvements and 30% up to $2,000 for heat pumps, biomass stoves and boilers. You must be modifying your main residence, and it must be located in the United States. The building components must have a lifespan of at least 5 years. Energy Star exterior doors or windows and skylights may qualify. Insulation and air ceiling materials must meet the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) standards. A home energy audit with a written report by a home energy auditor qualifies for a $150 credit. The residential energy items could include central air-conditioners, natural gas, propane or oil water heaters or furnaces and boilers that meet Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) standards. If there are any subsidies or rebates, those must be subtracted before calculating your credit.

I recently received an email that I needed to update my online Social Security account. Is this legitimate or is it a scam?

The Social Security Administration sent out a legitimate email last month to notify recipients that they are making changes to the way you access Social Security’s online services, including your personal “my Social Security” account. The changes will simplify your sign-in experience and align with federal authentication standards and ensure safe and secure access to your account and other online services.

If you created an online “my Social Security” account before September 18, 2021, you will need to transition to a Login.gov account to continue to access your account. If you already have either a Login.gov or ID.me account, you do not have to take any action.

“My Social Security” accounts allow both beneficiaries and those not yet receiving benefits to access services, such as requesting Social Security card replacements, estimating future benefits, checking on the status of benefit applications and managing current benefits.

The online services aim to save time for both current and future beneficiaries, as well as for the Social Security Administration, which grapples with excessive wait times on its toll-free line. The average speed to answer those calls was approximately 36 minutes in the second quarter, according to the SSA. The agency’s goal is to bring the average wait time down to 12 minutes by the end of September 2025.

Update Your Account

If you already have a “my Social Security” account, go to SSA.gov/myaccount and sign in with your Social Security username. You will be guided through the process of creating a new account with Login.gov. Once you successfully link your personal account with your new Login.gov account, you will get a confirmation screen and have immediate access to online services. In the future, you will sign into your account through Login.gov.

Beware of Scams

To be sure you are taking the appropriate steps to update your account, it is important to verify any websites or links leading you to the Social Security website. The legitimate Social Security Administration website link is www.SSA.gov and the agency link to “my Social Security” account is www.SSA.gov/myaccount.

It is very important to be mindful of potential scam artists who may send you fraudulent websites pretending to direct you to the Social Security website. These sites will closely mimic the format of the agency’s links to try to lure you into entering your personal information.

If you see a suspicious email or link, it is best not to respond or click on it. Instead, you can report it to the website of the SSA’s Office of the Inspector General or call the fraud hotline at 800-269-0271.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.

A digital will is an informal document that lists your digital assets along with instructions on how to access and manage them after you die. If you or your spouse spend time online, preparing a digital will is helpful for your loved ones and can help protect your privacy. Here is what you should know.

Do You Have Digital Assets?

The term "digital assets" refers to personal information that is stored electronically on either a computer or an online cloud server account that belongs to an individual. Anyone who uses email, has a PIN-protected cell phone, makes online purchases or pays bills online has digital assets. Digital assets generally require a username, password or PIN to access and can be difficult to retrieve if someone is incapacitated or passes away.

Creating a digital will (also known as a digital estate plan) will help your loved ones access your electronic devices and online accounts after your death. A digital will can also guide them in managing your digital assets according to your wishes. This, in turn, will protect your dormant accounts and assets from hackers or potential fraud after you die.

How to Write a Digital Will

Your first step in creating a digital will is to make an inventory list of your digital assets,which includes everything from hardware to email accounts. Here are a few categories to help kick-start your list:

• Electronic devices (computer, smartphone, tablet, external hard drive)
• Digital files (photos, videos or documents)
• Financial accounts (bank and brokerage accounts, credit cards, cryptocurrency)
• Bill paying accounts (utilities, mortgage accounts)
• Social media accounts
• Email accounts
• Cloud-storage accounts
• Movie or music streaming services
• Online purchasing accounts
• Subscription services (magazines, newspapers)
• Reward programs (travel, stores)
• Membership organizations

When making your list, you should include usernames, passwords, PINs, account numbers and security questions used for accessing each account. You should also provide detailed instructions on how you want your assets managed after your death. Some questions to consider include: Do you want certain accounts closed, archived or transferred? Do you want specific files or photos to be deleted or shared with loved ones? Do you want your social media profiles memorialized or deleted?

You may also consider appointing a digital executor to manage your digital assets and execute your wishes after you die. This person would be responsible for accessing your accounts and deleting, downloading, converting or managing your files and profiles.

From a legal perspective, it is important to know that most states have enacted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (RUFADAA), which legally recognizes digital estates. This law gives your personal representative or executor authority to manage some kinds of digital property including web domains and virtual currency. Legal access to other digital assets, such as emails and social media accounts, requires consent through your estate planning documents or other means.

Once your digital will is prepared, securely store it with your other estate plan documents. Storage options include a fireproof safe, a file cabinet at home, on your computer hard drive, with your estate planning attorney or with a reputable online digital estate planning service. Also, let your executor know where your digital will is stored and how to access it. Remember to keep your digital will updated whenever you create any new digital accounts or change passwords.

Savvy Living is written by Jim Miller, a regular contributor to the NBC Today Show and author of "The Savvy Living" book. Any links in this article are offered as a service and there is no endorsement of any product. These articles are offered as a helpful and informative service to our friends and may not always reflect this organization's official position on some topics. Jim invites you to send your senior questions to: Savvy Living, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.