What Caregivers Need to Know About Medicaid
By Barry Zimmer on November 7th, 2017 in Medicaid
Medicaid attorneys can provide help to seniors and their families in making sure that coverage is available for long term care costs and for nursing home care if such care becomes necessary. There are few sources of payment available for long term care or nursing home care, and Medicaid may be one of the only options to cover costs other than paying privately. Caregivers who are providing help to someone in their family need to know of the importance of qualifying for Medicaid so they can help to ensure their loved ones take the necessary steps to get covered.
The AARP also indicates that under some circumstances, Medicaid allows for a person who is receiving care at home to pay a family caregiver. The rules for paying a family member who is a caretaker can differ substantially from state to state and getting covered can be complicated, so it is a good idea to hire an attorney to provide help if you are caring for a family member.
Zimmer Law Firm knows the Medicaid rules and can provide the comprehensive help that caregivers, and their family-member patients, need to make informed choices about getting the costs of care paid for while protecting assets. You should reach out to our legal team as soon as possible if you suspect you may need care in the future or if you are providing care for someone who is either currently covered by Medicaid or who could benefit from Medicaid eligibility.
What Caregivers Need to Know About Medicaid
If you are a caregiver of a family-member patient who is currently on Medicaid, you should work with an attorney to find out if your loved one can manage his own care and can hire family caregivers under Medicaid’s long-term services and supports (LTSS) programs.
As the AARP explains, there are different programs and eligibility rules depending upon what state the patient lives in and depending upon factors like who the family caregiver is and whether the family member lives in the same house with the patient. In all circumstances, however, a patient will only be eligible for Medicaid – and thus a caregiver only potentially eligible for payments – if the patient doesn’t have too many countable assets to get Medicaid coverage.
If the person who you are caring for is not currently receiving Medicaid benefits, you can also work with an experienced attorney to help your loved one to get covered. While having too many assets could be disqualifying and could put your loved one in a position where he has to spend money on care before Medicaid kicks in, there are different tools and techniques that can be utilized in order to reduce the amount of assets that must be spent. Zimmer Law Firm will work with you to put together an appropriate asset protection plan based on the types of assets owned by the patient being cared for who is trying to obtain Medicaid and based on when the care is needed that the patient is trying to get covered.
Caregivers also need to work with an attorney to understand Medicaid estate recovery rules, which could sometimes result in the assets of the patient being lost when the state aims to recoup money spent on care after the patient has passed away. While estate recovery rules make it possible for the state to try to recover money spent on care by making a claim on an estate and sometimes taking a house or other assets, there are exceptions to these rules which can apply in cases of hardship and sometimes in cases where caregivers were able to keep a patient out of a nursing home. Zimmer Law Firm can help caregivers to understand how these estate recovery rules can work.
Getting Help from Medicaid Attorneys
Medicaid attorneys at Zimmer Law Firm will provide personalized help to seniors, to patients of all ages, and to caregivers who want help making sure their loved ones are able to get covered as soon as possible. You should give us a call to find out about the assistance our legal team can provide you with getting Medicaid to pay for the care that you or your loved ones need.
You can give us a call at 513.721.1513 at any time to talk with an experienced attorney at our firm about qualifying for Medicaid and maximizing benefits. You can also join us for a free seminar to learn more about how the Medicaid program works and about what you need to do to get yourself or your loved one covered for essential services.