New Jersey Medicaid Launches New Approach To Financial Eligibility For Long-Term Care

On December 1, 2014, the New Jersey Medicaid program launched a new approach to establishing financial eligibility for long-term care.  The state is replacing its previous Medically Needy program, which only covered elgibility for nursing home care, with Qualified Income Trusts (QIT) that cover eligibility for all home- and community-based long-term services and supports (LTSS).

A QIT is a dedicated trust established on behalf of a person needing LTSS who has reduced assets enough to meet Medicaid eligibility requirements, but who does not meet Medicaid income limits because the person receives payments from Social Security retirement, pensions . . .