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As the population grows older, more and more individuals are finding the need to enter nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. In Michigan, the average monthly cost for a private room in a nursing home is approximately $9,855, totaling over $118,000 per year.
Most individuals cannot sustain this expense and quickly risk needing more private funds to pay for their own care. As a result, the nursing home resident would be forced to find an alternative living arrangement if they cannot quickly obtain Medicaid benefits. In addition, hard-earned assets such as the individual’s home may be jeopardized.
Suppose you or a loved one are faced with the possibility of going to a nursing facility or are currently in a facility but may soon run out of funds. In that case, you must hire a skilled Medicaid planning lawyer immediately. A Medicaid planning lawyer can advise you of your rights and assist you with applying for necessary benefits.
Medicaid law can be overly complex and challenging to try and navigate independently. For this reason, it is best to hire an experienced lawyer to help you obtain the benefits you need and avoid losing your hard-earned assets.
What is Medicaid Crisis Planning?
Medicaid Crisis Planning is necessary when an individual needs to enter a long-term nursing facility but has not previously structured their assets to qualify for Medicaid. Sadly, in most instances, individuals who have not used advanced planning to structure their assets face a financial dilemma. Most have too much money to qualify for Medicaid benefits but cannot sustain the high costs of skilled nursing care.
Nevertheless, an experienced Medicaid planning attorney may be able to assist individuals in qualifying for essential benefits without them losing all their assets to pay for care.
However, individuals or their families must apply for benefits as quickly as possible to avoid interruptions that could cost them their financial resources or cause them to be denied the care they need. Any delay or error in completing the application can cause significant delays and cost families thousands of dollars.
In situations such as these, families must hire a qualified Medicaid Planning attorney who can help them through the qualification process.
How is Nursing Home Medicaid Eligibility Determined?
Medicaid eligibility can be confusing, but the typical individual applying for assistance is only allowed to have limited resources to qualify.
Basic Michigan Medicaid eligibility requirements include:
- Income under $2,742 per month.
- Assets under $2,000.
- Require a level of care provided by a skilled nursing care facility.
Certain possessions, such as one automobile and other assets such as personal belongings or household furnishings, are exempt. If an individual is married, the process for determining eligibility is far more complicated. In Michigan, the Maximum Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) is $148,620 for the spouse of a potential Medicaid recipient who needs nursing home care.
However, aside from the CSRA, other determinants often factor into determining eligibility for nursing home Medicaid. In many instances, an individual is only allowed to keep a small portion of the couple’s assets in order for their spouse to qualify for nursing home Medicaid benefits.
Understanding the Medicaid eligibility process can be overwhelming due to the complexity of the rules. However, a qualified attorney can explain the process and create a step-by-step plan to help individuals qualify for the benefits they need for care.
When Should I Seek Legal Help to Obtain Nursing Home Medicaid?
Individuals must seek qualified legal representation immediately if there is a remote chance, they may have to enter a nursing home or care facility in the foreseeable future. In many instances, an individual or couple may have to “spend down” their assets to qualify.
However, an attorney can provide sound legal advice about the spend-down process and how your assets could be structured so that family members can still potentially inherit or benefit from your years of hard work and effort.
Knowing that you have an experienced lawyer to assist you with obtaining benefits can help you focus on your health or the well-being of your family member instead of worrying about what the future may hold.
If you or a loved one is currently in a nursing facility and in danger of running out of personal funds to pay for care. In that case, you must contact a lawyer so the essential medical care can continue uninterrupted.
Why is it Important to Work With a Medicaid Crisis Planning Lawyer?
One of the best steps anyone can take who needs to qualify for Medicaid to enter a nursing home is to obtain legal representation. An experienced Medicaid planning attorney understands the maze of rules surrounding eligibility and what must be done to structure assets so an individual can qualify.
However, every case is different; therefore, an attorney’s methods to help an individual qualify will vary greatly. Nevertheless, not having an attorney who understands how to protect your assets could result in you or your family member losing their home.
It can be a daunting task to try and understand the Medicaid eligibility process on your own, especially if your family member is extremely ill or in need of care that you and other family members cannot provide.
For these reasons, our law firm is dedicated to helping Michigan citizens who have not been able to take advantage of advanced planning to try and get them the benefits they need.
Contact Estate Planning & Elder Law Services, P.C. today by calling 888-663-7407 to schedule a free no-obligation consultation. A qualified legal team member will gladly sit down and provide you with a free case review to see what options may be available and how we can help.
