Confused about Medicaid? You are not alone!
Medicaid planning can be complex. But with the right elder law attorney, like Griboff Law, we can help you prepare for the future possibility of long-term care. Medicaid can be a huge benefit towards protecting your assets, especially if you are in need of nursing home care or in-home care. An experienced attorney can assist with Medicaid eligibility while protecting your assets. Without Medicaid coverage, you will be personally responsible for expending the monthly cost of your elder care.
MARYLAND ANNUAL MEDIAN COST OF CARE (2020)
| IN -HOME CARE | COMMUNITY/ASSISTED LIVING | NURSING HOME FACILITY |
| Homemaker Services $53,768 | Adult Day Health Care $19,240 | Semi-Private Room $93,075 |
| Home Health Aide $54,912 | Assisted Living Facility $51,600 | Private Room $105,850 |
Resource: https://www.genworth.com/aging-and-you/finances/cost-of-care.html
Medicaid is a Federal and State program, the rules vary from state to state. If you reside in Maryland and need Medicaid, then Maryland’s Medicaid state rules apply. You can benefit greatly from an expert in Medicaid planning who understands Maryland’s specific Medicaid application and process for approval.
Without the aid of Medicaid, the cost of a nursing home can wipe out your family’s savings and plans to leave an inheritance for your children. Our firm can help you protect your hard-earned life’s savings from being spent down in order to pay for long-term care.
Some techniques used for Medicaid planning in Maryland include:
- Irrevocable Trusts
- Gift and Return
- Caregiver Agreements
- Life Estate Deeds
- Medicaid Complaint Annuities
Medicaid planning should be started before elderly care is needed, but we can’t predict when nursing homes or in-home care will be necessary. There are still options, even if you have already spent thousands of dollars on senior living care that could have been saved with Medicaid. It’s never too late to apply for Medicaid, even after your loved one has entered a senior living center. Seeking counsel from a knowledgeable attorney, like Griboff Law, can lead to a Medicaid plan that best suits your health care needs. The sooner you call the more options we will have for your long-term care options.
MEDICAID PREPLANNING AND CRISIS PLANNING
By consulting with an elder law attorney early you can preserve assets should you or a loved one need to move to an assisted living or skilled nursing home. At Griboff Law we discuss the use of various tools to preserve your assets with you and consult with your financial planner and accountant. We develop individualized plans to preserve your assets, such as drafting irrevocable trusts, life estate deeds, and caregiver agreements. In addition, we advise and assist clients in planning for and purchasing long-term care insurance, a vital asset preservation tool. Some clients are interested in purchasing a “hybrid” policy, which is a life insurance policy with a long term care rider on it. Long-term care insurance can reduce the financial risk of long-term disability and provide financial security for loved ones.
We have established relationships with financial planners, insurance agents, and accountants and are able to pass along this resource to the benefit of our clients.
We offer our clients peace of mind by reviewing their long term care policies and making sure that they understand what their policies provide for benefits and what benefits are not provided. Even when advance planning has not been done, an elder law attorney can still help preserve assets and avoid very costly mistakes when a move to a nursing home is required.
We review and explain contracts before you sign them. We create “crisis” plans on how to afford long term care when you or a loved one is entering an assisted living or skilled nursing home. We have established relationships with geriatric care managers who assist you or your loved one on finding the right level of care needed now and in the future. We explain the Medicaid application process, assets and income allowed under the Medicaid rules, and what expenses are allowed under the Medicaid rules and whether a Medicaid Compliant (sp) Annuity can be purchased to protect some assets.
Griboff Law is here to help you and your loved ones understand Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medicaid Planning, and Special Needs Planning. We welcome you to contact us to learn more about how we can help meet your Medicaid planning needs.