How does someone become a beneficiary of FMDT?
FMDT accepts new beneficiaries through referral from attorneys, advocacy and public agencies, or the Maryland courts. FMDT does not provide legal advice, and so we require that all potential beneficiaries first meet with an attorney experienced in special needs planning prior to signing the joinder agreement.
Who may become a beneficiary of FMDT?
FMDT is open to any individual, regardless of age or type of disability, who has income or assets which would make him or her ineligible for benefits such as SSI and Medicaid and who wishes to place these assets in trust during his or her lifetime. A beneficiary over the age of 65 may be ineligible for certain benefits for a period of time due to the transfer of assets into the trust.
For example, FMDT can assist :
- A seriously disabled child whose family relies on SSI benefits and who receives a large award for birth injuries, and then risks losing the Medicaid benefits on which he or she relies for daily nursing care.
- A middle school child with autism who has inherited a large sum from grandparents will lose his or her eligibility for the Medicaid Autism Waiver which provides various support services; if he or she goes off the Waiver while the funds are spent down, it may take years to get back on the Waiver due to the long waiting list.
- A young woman with mental illness is the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and will lose her SSI and Medicaid benefits, including the pharmacy benefits which help her to maintain her stability and independence.
- A single adult man with no serious medical history is suddenly injured in an automobile accident and will require nursing home care for his lifetime; his life savings must otherwise be depleted before he can qualify for Medicaid.