Are you or a loved one in need of long-term nursing home care?
If you or someone you care about suddenly requires long term care in a nursing home, you may be worried about how to pay for it and protect your assets. Medicaid Crisis Planning can help you in this situation. It is a legal service that helps you qualify for Medicaid benefits, even if you have not planned ahead or have too much income or assets. An experienced Medicaid Crisis Attorney can advise you on how to save some of your hard-earned money and property while getting the care you need.
Get Accurate Medicaid Information from an Experienced Medicaid Attorney
Don't rely on the staff at the nursing home or hospital to tell you about Medicaid eligibility. They may not know the latest rules or strategies. Before you make any hasty decisions that could jeopardize your financial security, talk to Medicaid Crisis Planning Attorney Andrew Byers. He will give you accurate and reliable information and help you make the best choices for your situation.
Protecting Your Family's Assets from Long Term Care Costs
Long term care is very expensive and can drain your life savings quickly. Many people are caught in a dilemma: they have too much money to get Medicaid, but not enough money to pay for long term care and support their family and spouse. A Medicaid Crisis Planning Attorney can help you solve this problem by using legal and ethical methods to restructure your income and assets in conformity with Michigan's Medicaid rules so you can qualify for Medicaid without having to spend all or most of your assets down on nursing home care.
What Is the Difference Between Medicaid and Medicare?
Medicaid and Medicare are different programs. Medicaid is a joint program between the federal government and the states that helps people pay for care. Medicare is a federal program that provides health insurance for people 65 and older and some disabled people. Medicare does not cover long term care costs, but Medicaid does. Medicare is run by the federal government.
Medicare does not cover most long-term care costs, such as nursing home care for personal assistance. Medicaid covers these costs, but only for people who meet the income and asset limits set by each state. In Michigan, Medicaid also offers some programs that help seniors get long-term care in their homes or communities, such as PACE and MI Choice Waiver. These programs have different income rules than the Medicaid nursing home program.
Will Medicare Cover Nursing Home Care Costs?
Medicare is a program that helps pay for certain medical costs, including hospital care, doctor visits, and prescription drugs. Medicare may cover up to 100 days of skilled care (physical, speech, or occupation therapy) in a nursing home. After the 20th day, there is $204 copayment each day. However, if a senior citizen needs to live in a nursing home for custodial nursing home care, Medicare does not pay for any of that. Custodial nursing home care is assistance with the activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, transferring in and out of chairs/bed, incontinence care, medication management, or the need to live in a protective environment where others are around to help due to age-related frailty or dementia. Medicare does not help pay for custodial care in a nursing home care or other such long-term care costs. The elder or his or her family must pay for these costs out of their savings or qualify for Medicaid.
What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Medicaid?
The eligibility requirements for Medicaid vary from state to state, but all states must provide coverage for certain categories of people, including the elderly. However, to be eligible for Medicaid, an elderly person must meet the State of Michigan's Medicaid income and asset criteria.
Why is the Medicaid System So Challenging?
Medicaid is a complex system because it involves both the federal and state governments. Each state has some flexibility to design its own Medicaid program, as long as it follows certain federal guidelines. This means that Medicaid eligibility, benefits, and costs can vary widely from state to state. It also means that Medicaid rules can change over time, depending on the state's budget and policy decisions. Seniors who need long-term care may face challenges in understanding and applying for Medicaid, especially if they have income or assets that are above the limit. They may need to spend down their resources or use legal strategies to protect some of their assets from being counted by Medicaid.
For middle class Americans, Medicaid is an important resource when they need long-term nursing home care, which is very expensive (the State of Michigan has determined that the statewide average nursing home cost is $10,870.00 per month in 2024). Nursing home care would quickly deplete the average person's retirement accounts and other savings in a matter of months, which is why Medicaid planning is so crucial.
Marital status is also a factor in Medicaid eligibility. There are different rules regarding income and different levels of assets allowed for people who are single and for people who are married.
The important thing to remember is that you do not have to spend down your entire life savings to qualify for Medicaid. The staff at the hospital does not know all the rules. The staff at the nursing home may know some of the rules, but nursing homes may have a conflict of interest in giving advice in that they receive somewhat more money from people who are on private pay status instead of Medicaid. The state Medicaid workers will only tell you what you cannot do, not what you can do to protect assets. Also, the state workers are not attorneys, so they cannot give you legal advice. Andrew Byers is an experienced Medicaid planning attorney who knows how to apply Michigan's Medicaid rules to legally help seniors become eligible for Medicaid while protecting their family's assets. These rules are applied ethically and strategically to protect the spouse needing long-term care and the well spouse still living at home. Andrew Byers can help you avoid the top Medicaid mistakes people make.
Help is Available for a Medicaid Crisis, even if the Elder is Already in a Nursing Home
Each situation is unique, so the best method of planning will be determined by your specific circumstances. Don't apply for Medicaid until you are certain you qualify, which requires the help of an experienced Medicaid Planning Attorney.
Andrew Byers helps people apply for Medicaid benefits in a crisis in Troy, Michigan and throughout the rest of the Metro Detroit area. He can help you put together a plan to save income and assets and will handle the Medicaid application and deal with the Department of Health and Human Services so you and your loved ones can focus on caring for each other.
If you or a loved one needs nursing home care and wants to apply for Medicaid in Michigan, contact me, Andrew Byers, now by using the online form or calling me directly at (248) 469-4261. On this initial call, I'll answer your preliminary questions and get some background information to make sure it's a situation I can help with. After that, you can decide if it makes sense to schedule a more in-depth consultation. I can help you navigate the complex and confusing process of applying for Medicaid and ensure that you get the best possible outcome for your situation.