Long-term Care Medicaid
Long-term Care Medicaid is a government program that pays for your in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home care. The program has asset and income limitations that can be solved.
Medicaid is a means-tested program. This means that in order to qualify for Medicaid benefits, you must meet certain income and asset requirements. For seniors who require nursing home care, the asset limit is particularly important. Medicaid's asset limit is quite low - $2,000 - which means that seniors with significant assets may not be eligible for Medicaid unless they take steps to reduce their assets.
Seniors can engage in Medicaid planning with an elder law attorney in order to best position themselves to receive care if needed. This involves working towards creating a plan that maximizes Medicaid eligibility while preserving as many assets as possible. Medicaid planning can involve a variety of strategies, such as turning assets into an income stream, transferring assets into a trust, executing a Caregiver Agreement, or converting assets into exempt assets such as a primary residence or a car.
In addition to the asset limit, there are other eligibility requirements that seniors must meet in order to qualify for nursing home Medicaid. These include medical necessity - meaning that the senior requires nursing home care due to a medical condition - and citizenship or legal residency status.
​
Navigating the Medicaid eligibility process can be challenging, particularly for seniors and their families who are dealing with the stress and emotional strain of needing long-term care. This is where an elder law attorney can be invaluable. An elder law attorney can help seniors and their families understand the eligibility requirements, navigate the application process, and develop a Medicaid planning strategy that maximizes eligibility while preserving assets. The best plan, however, is one that is put into place before care is needed. In a proactive planning case, an elder law attorney can usually preserve the maximum amount of assets for a client.
​