Medicaid planning
Paying for care without giving up the family home
Long-term care is costly, and Medicaid can help once savings fall under a limit. The rules about what counts, and what happened in the past five years, are strict.
A mistake can delay an application for months. We help you see the whole picture before you apply: what you own, what Medicaid counts, what a spouse at home may keep, and what can be done now. We also help with the paperwork afterward, and with an appeal if an application is denied.
We help with
A list of what Medicaid counts and what it doesn’t
A review of gifts made in the last five years
Planning for a spouse who stays at home
Filling in and filing the application
Appeals when an application is denied
In order
What happens, step by step
The first meeting has a flat fee, quoted when you book, which we credit toward the plan if you hire us. After it we quote the rest in writing.
- 01
Step 1: We list what you own
Accounts, a home, a car, insurance and anything given away. Bring statements; we will tell you what else to look for.
- 02
Step 2: We read the rules that apply
Limits and exceptions change with the program and the year, so we work from the current ones, not from memory.
- 03
Step 3: We choose the steps
You decide what to do, with the cost and the risk of each in plain words.
- 04
Step 4: We file and follow up
We send the application and answer the agency’s questions until there is a decision.
Common worries
Will Medicaid take my parent’s house?
Not automatically. A home can be protected in several ways, and some rules depend on the state and on who still lives there. We tell you which ones apply to your family.
Is it too late if my mother is already in a nursing home?
Often not. There are still steps that may help, and an early look is better than waiting. Bring the latest bill and bank statements.
Can I give my house to my children now?
Sometimes, but a gift can start a waiting period and can cost your children a tax benefit. Talk to us before you sign any deed.
Bring the latest bill and the bank statements
We will go through them with you and tell you what can be done, and what it would cost, before you decide anything.