Legal Q&A: Transferring Benefits Between States

Question: My mother in law is relocating to Pennsylvania and would like to know how to transfer her VA death pension from Maryland to Pennsylvania. Also, she was told she would need to reapply for Medicare and Medicaid in Pennsylvania, is this true?

Answer: Medicare is a federal system of health insurance, so she won't have to reapply for it when moving from one state to another. She will just need to notify Medicare of her change in address.

Medicaid is a federal program, but it is administered by the state. When you move from one state to another, you will probably have to reapply for benefits. Contact the local Medicaid office in your new city and they can assist you.

When a person receives a VA death pension and the person moves to another state, my advice would be to first move to the new location and keep the original bank account open. This assumes that the VA death pension is received by direct deposit. Once you are established in your new location, you can notify the VA of your new address. If the same bank is located in your new city, great! The VA can keep sending your check there. If you need to open an account at a new bank, do that first, then notify the VA of your new address and new banking information. Keep both bank accounts open until the new direct deposit appears in your new bank account. Then you can close the old bank account.

If you have additional questions, you may want to talk with an attorney at Michael Hodes, LLC (410) 769-8002 about this matter.

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Above content provided by Michael Hodes, LLC. For advice about legal issues, consult a licensed Attorney.