Are You Prepared for Your Long Term Care?
Have you considered Medicaid in your planning for long-term care? Are you one of the 72% of Georgia residents who qualify for this benefit?
Medicaid planning can seem like a tough task. At Goldberg & Associates, your trusted Medicaid attorney is prepared to assist you with your Medicaid planning, so that you can maximize the benefits and ensure your long term care is managed effectively. You can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that your care will be covered, or partially covered, by the Medicaid you are entitled to. While there are income and asset limits, we can help determine your eligibility and complete the application to file for your Medicaid entitlement.
Senior citizens qualify for Medicaid when some or all of these criteria are met:
- Age 65 and older
- Disabled or blind
- Receive Social Security Income
- Fall under certain income and assets limits
- Need to cover the costs of long-term care
- May have other extenuating circumstances
Most senior citizens in Georgia qualify for Medicaid
We can help you plan for your Medicaid coverage
Medicaid can pay for your long-term medical care
We work with you to help determine your eligibility and complete your application for Medicaid
Over The Limit?
If you think that your income is too high to qualify for Medicaid, or that your assets may jeopardize the application process, it’s best to contact a Medicaid attorney who can assist you with this process. At Goldberg & Associates, we are here to help you through the eligibility determination and application, and ensure you receive your Medicaid benefits in full. Medicaid is an entitlement that pays for the majority of long-term care in Georgia, and an attorney can assist you in protecting your assets as well as qualifying for this program.
The cost of care is only increasing as the years go by, and most people cannot afford to pay for their long-term care on their own. Even if they can, at least in the beginning, the staggering costs of care frequently drain savings and wipe out private financial resources within a matter of months or years. This is a frightening prospect, but, fortunately, most people are eligible to receive Medicaid coverage. We will do everything in our power to work to qualify you for the Medicaid benefits you may be eligible to receive.
TOP TEN MYTHS ABOUT MEDICAID
Myth #1:
I make too much money to qualify.
Nursing home care costs generally about $8,000 to $10,000 per month or more. The costs are simply too high for most people to afford. Extenuating circumstances as well as taking into account the whole picture of your financial situation is essential in determining your Medicaid eligibility, and many who think they are ineligible actually do qualify. You can only have too much income for Medicaid if you make over the private pay rate of a nursing home, which is around $8,000-$10,000 in metro Atlanta. You may have to create a trust if your base income is over the income cap, and that is what your Medicaid attorney at Goldberg & Associates is here to help you do.
Myth #2:
I will lose my house.
Ownership of a home, vehicle, retirement account and more are absolutely acceptable under Medicaid qualifications. If you are married, you can even have up to $130,000+ in assets and still qualify, thanks to the community spouse resource allowance. While there are regulations and qualifiers for your assets, you are generally entitled to keep them and remain eligible for the Medicaid program.
Myth #3:
Medicaid will seize everything when I pass away.
While Medicaid Estate Recovery may recoup benefits for estates valued at over $25,000, a Medicaid law attorney can help you to protect those assets and preserve your estate. By working with an attorney, you can access various methods of estate preservation so that Medicaid Estate Recovery cannot seize your assets. This requires careful planning and execution with an experienced elder care law attorney, and Goldberg & Associates is here to assist you.
Myth #4:
The nursing home needs to get me on Medicaid.
Regardless of qualifications or eligibility, nursing homes or other community-based care facilities require you to be responsible for the payment of their services. Additionally, nursing home staff are not equipped with the legal expertise needed to determine your eligibility or submit your application for Medicaid, especially if you do not meet the basic benchmarks in terms of assets and income. While some nursing homes do process applications for Medicaid on behalf of their residents, you will ultimately be responsible for the cost of your stay. To ensure you can maximize your Medicaid benefits, contact an experienced elder law attorney.
Myth #5:
I cannot have over $2,000 in assets.
Managing your assets is one of the main reasons to engage the services of a Medicaid attorney. While the $2,000 cap on assets seems fairly straightforward, assets can also be managed in ways so that they do not count against you in terms of determining your Medicaid eligibility. At Goldberg & Associates, we work tirelessly to ensure your countable assets will fall within the limits imposed by the Medicaid entitlement by establishing trusts and utilizing various other means to protect your assets.
Myth #6:
Gifts aren’t penalized by Medicaid up to $14,000.
Medicaid is not the IRS, and their rules for gifting are completely different. You may also have heard that if money is instead “transferred” it is untouchable. This is simply not true, and you may wind up being penalized from Medicaid by attempting to use gifting or transferring as a work-around for managing your assets and still qualifying for Medicaid benefits. To ensure your assets are protected under the law and you will not be penalized for them in any way, work with a qualified elder law attorney.
Myth #7:
Medicaid is free.
Medicaid is not free for anybody, inside of Georgia or out. Medicaid is paid for by all taxpayers, so that those who need it can benefit from its coverage. If you are an unmarried individual living in a nursing home, your monthly income is contributed towards your monthly bill for that care. If you are married and your spouse does not reside in a nursing home, they may be able to keep part or all of your income depending on the circumstances. Medicaid then pays the remaining cost of your care. To ensure your income and assets are protected, consult with a Medicaid lawyer.
Myth #8:
Medicaid knows only what I tell them.
When you apply for Medicaid, your application goes to the Department of Family and Child Services and a Social Services Examiner investigates the information you provided. This investigation may include property searches, income verifications, financial reports, and other items. If they are able to find documentation for items that were not on the application, your application will be denied and you will not receive Medicaid benefits. Working with a Medicaid lawyer can help you protect your assets and still quality for the entitlement.
Myth #9:
Only senior citizens are eligible to receive nursing home Medicaid.
Medicaid does cover people who are not yet 65 years old and require nursing home care. In fact, anyone who needs a skilled nursing facility may, in fact, be eligible to receive Medicaid benefits regardless of their age. To find out if you have a qualification that would entitle you to Medicaid benefits under the age of 65, contact a Medicaid attorney who can help you make a determination of your status and apply for the Medicaid program.
Myth #10:
I won’t have any money to pay for my funeral.
This can be a serious concern, however, Medicaid beneficiaries are given an allowance for funerary and burial expenses. Currently, that allowance is up to $10,000. You can designate these funds for your funeral and still qualify for Medicaid.
Medicaid Is An Entitlement
When you think about your golden years, you’re probably not thinking in terms of crippling financial costs and the skyrocketing costs of health care. Perhaps your thoughts turn to children or grandchildren, to spending cherished time surrounded by your family or friends. Perhaps you’re looking forward to taking up a new hobby or learning a new skill. Maybe it’s just time to catch up on your reading. Whatever your vision may be, it’s probably not trying to figure out how to pay for nursing home facilities and your health care in general, whether those needs are minimal or extensive.
As an entitlement program, Medicaid is offered for those who qualify for it and can help to cover your expenses when you are in a nursing home or other skilled care facility. You have worked hard throughout your life, and worrying about whether or not you can cover your care expenses is something we don’t want you to have to do. By working with a Medicaid attorney, such as Goldberg & Associates, your eligibility for Medicaid can be determined and the application can be completed and submitted successfully. If your application is denied, we can work with you further to appeal the denial and ensure your assets are protected in the process. With more than 70% of Georgia residents in long term care facilities receiving Medicaid benefits that cover the cost of their care, there is a good chance that you will also qualify for this entitlement, even if you think that your income is too high or your assets are too great.
Working with an elder care lawyer can ensure that your assets are protected and that you can enjoy your golden years worry-free and without the stress or fear of wondering how you’re going to be able to pay for long term care. Your assets can be protected in a variety of different ways, and you can save for the things that you want to make sure don’t fall to your loved ones after your passing, like funeral expenses and burial or cremation costs. At Goldberg & Associates, we want to empower you to take advantage of the benefits you are entitled to and enjoy your life.