Page 45 - August 2020 Issue.indd

This means covering both your mouth powers that be that they haven’t gotten
and nose, folks! Everyone is sick of to the bank or post offi ce lately? Perhaps
steamed glasses and smelling our own by haunting the Treasury Department?
bad breath but hang in there and wear SHEESH!
them correctly! Protect yourself and
Seriously, folks! If an individual who
your fellow Caroline County citizens.
died after submitting their taxes was
Please continue to wash your hands
issued a stimulus check, the surviving
when returning home, wash down
family/ estate must return that $1,200.
doorknobs, disinfect your debit cards,
Government is slow as molasses in ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY
practice social distancing, and oh yea,
January but, eventually, rest assured,
wash your hands! Try to shop at off -peak ĂŝůLJ ĐƟǀŝƟĞƐ
they will track down and come after
hours, continue to avoid large gatherings
that cash. No one wants to be surprised RN on Call
of people, and stay the course. It may
when the IRS runs true to form and ,ŽŵĞ ŽŽŬĞĚ DĞĂůƐ͕
not feel like it’s getting any easier, but
demands repayment with interest in the ^ŶĂĐŬƐ Θ ĞǀĞƌĂŐĞƐ
we know the routine, are Eastern Shore
next 3-5 years! >ĂƵŶĚƌLJ Θ ,ŽƵƐĞŬĞĞƉŝŶŐ
tough, and together we will get through
this mess! The IRS is doing something positive by >ŝĐĞŶƐĞĚ ƚŽ WƌŽǀŝĚĞ

following up on concerns that people ĂƌĞ ĨŽƌ >ĞǀĞůƐ ϭ͕Ϯ͕ϯ
On another note, the Fed continues
and businesses may be taking advantage DĞŵŽƌLJ ĂƌĞ
to print money like confetti to buy
of vulnerable populations who received ^ƉĞĐŝĂů ŝĞƚ Θ ŝŶŝŶŐ ƐƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ
up long and short term corporate
the Economic Impact checks. The WŽƐƚͲƌĞŚĂďŝůŝƚĂƟŽŶ WĂƌƚŶĞƌƐŚŝƉƐ
debt, treasury and municipal bond
IRS notified nursing home and other ǁŝƚŚ ŽĐƚŽƌƐ ĂŶĚ dŚĞƌĂƉŝƐƚƐ
markets, and all sorts of asset-backed
care facilities that the stimulus checks ĂŶĚ ŵƵĐŚ ŵŽƌĞ͘͘͘
security instruments. Since these are
belonged to the beneficiaries and not
unprecedented moves, I’m going to www.arcadia-living.com
to the organizations providing care.
venture a guess that odds are there will
Economic Impact Payments (EIP) do Arcadia of Denton
be another round of stimulus checks
not count as resources to be turned over 701 S. 5th Ave
issued, probably after the next virus

by benefit recipients, such as by residents (Formerly Gables at Caroline)
surge and before the election in early
of nursing homes whose care is largely
fall. Just in case it happens again here Come Home to Arcadia
provided for by Medicaid. The EIP is
are some facts to digest.
classified as an advance refund for 2020

As you may have heard, according to taxes, whether taxes were filed or not, so belongs strictly to the individual.

the Government Accountability Offi ce, it is considered a tax refund for benefi ts If you have a loved one who has had
The Washington Post reported that as purposes. Therefore, these payments do that stimulus money “earmarked” by

part of the Cares relief package, the not count as a resource for determining a facility or “redirected” by a caregiver
federal government sent $1.4 Billion eligibility for Medicaid, and other without power of attorney, the individual
in Economic Impact Stimulus checks federal programs, for twelve months deserves to get that money back.
to dead Americans. Stimulus checks from receipt of said funds. Remember, Remember that Social Security
were distributed based on 2018 and the annual max liquid asset allowed Representative Payees are only
2019 tax returns. The GAO stated, “Th e for Medicaid eligibility is $2,000 for responsible for handling Social Security

problem relates partly to the fact that the year. Be sure to keep an eye on any or SSI payments. The EIP check is not

while the IRS has access to the Social bank balances, investment instruments considered one of those benefits, so the

Security Administration’s full set of like money markets, or life insurance Rep Payee is not responsible for handling
death records, the Treasury Department policies that bring assets over $2,000 and that money. However, if an individual

and its Bureau of the Fiscal Service, could cause loss of benefits at the end of gets a check not Social Security issued
which actually issues the payments, those twelve months. and has a Representative Payee, the
do not.” How will those payments be designated payee and benefi ciary may
Note that if a nursing home or other
“clawed back”, you might ask? “Aside discuss how the funds are to be used,
facility or provider receives the person’s
from announcing on its website on May either directly by, or on behalf of, the
stimulus payment, either directly or
6 that stimulus payments made to dead beneficiary. If the beneficiary asks for

indirectly by direct deposit or check,
or incarcerated individuals should be assistance using those funds in a specifi c
generally because they handle the
returned, the IRS does not have plans to manner or wants to save it, the Rep Payee
patient’s Social Security check monthly
take additional steps toward recouping may assist outside of the Rep Payee roll
or to offset Medicaid payments for
the payments, GAO said.” So, the IRS is with the beneficiaries’ permission. Since

care, those payments cannot be taken
asking folks to pretty please send those this assistance is occurring outside of
by the nursing home, caregiver, or
checks back ASAP. HMMM. How are the normal “job description” it might
any Representative Payee toward the
the dearly departed going to notify the be wise to get a signed release specifying
monthly cost of care. The money
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