Elder Law & Estate Planning Attorneys
There are many misconceptions about how to qualify for Medicaid to pay for care in a nursing home. We see them on the internet, read them in the news, and hear them from our clients. This month, we are starting a new feature called “Medicaid Myths” where we will clear up the confusion. This is our first installment:
Medicaid Myth #1:
I have to turn my home over to the nursing home (or to the state Medicaid agency) before I can get Medicaid.
The Truth:
No money or property is ever turned over to anybody or to any agency. Paying for nursing home care is a pay-as-you-go arrangement. A nursing home resident is billed monthly while on private pay. Medicaid is billed monthly when a resident is on Medicaid.
It is true that you can only have a certain amount of assets and certain types of property in order to be eligible for Medicaid. Most people pay the nursing home monthly out of their own pocket until the amount they have left is below the Medicaid eligibility threshold. This is why most people go broke in a nursing home.
At Levandowski & Darpino, we have legal strategies to make sure you don’t go broke. In most cases, we can help an unmarried nursing home resident keep one-half (50%) of his or her assets and still get Medicaid. We can help a married nursing home resident get Medicaid and have their spouse keep all (100%) of the couple’s assets and property, in most cases.
The real Medicaid myth is that you have to go broke in the nursing home before you can qualify for Medicaid.
Levandowski & Darpino
Latest posts by Levandowski & Darpino (see all)
- Medicaid Myths - February 7, 2020
