Without outside support, it would be difficult or impossible for most people to afford paying for a nursing home out of pocket. Some people mistakenly think Medicare will pick up the bill and others are hoping that Medicaid benefits will kick in quickly. The truth is that you have options to plan well in advance as well as some strategies to consider in a crisis situation, but you might need the help of a lawyer to put them into action.
Qualifying for Medicaid often requires support from an estate planning lawyer. There are specific state and federal rules associated with getting Medicaid and what you perceive to be minor mistakes could block you from receiving benefits sooner than needed. The cost of a nursing home without the support of Medicaid can be catastrophic and it might decimate your personal savings if you do not have a long term care insurance policy.
There are two primary ways that clients engage the services of an elder lawyer when it comes to Medicaid qualification; crisis planning and pre-planning. Crisis planning refers to those people who have come to the office of an elder lawyer because their loved one needs long term care immediately or in the short-term future.
Crisis plans can still yield powerful results for qualifying for Medicaid; however, available planning strategies are limited because the person needs benefits immediately. With pre-planning, this legal and legitimate strategy allows you to pursue all possible options for addressing long term care needs and can be much more successful at protecting your personal assets.
Although you might not need Medicaid services or a stay in a nursing home now, you can do yourself a favor by consulting with a Massachusetts elder lawyer about these options.
