Pinellas Medicaid Planning Attorney Explains Common Medicaid Misunderstandings
Straight facts about Medicaid Planning: How it helps St. Petersburg and Clearwater seniors pay for local nursing home care.
As a Pinellas County Medicaid planning attorney, wealth and asset protection for Florida residents is something I take very seriously.
I would like to share with you some important facts about Florida Medicaid planning; specifically, how to utilize Medicaid for nursing home care.
After years of assisting Pinellas County residents with Medicaid planning and other elder law issues, I realize many people throughout the Clearwater and St. Petersburg areas still do not understand Medicaid eligibility rules.
If you are applying for Medicaid in Florida, there is a three-part test that you must “pass” in order to qualify for benefits. The Medicaid system looks at three criteria to see if you are eligible:
- Medical Necessity
- Assets
- Income
Keep in mind that the Medicaid program was created to help seniors avoid impoverishment due to the extreme costs associated with nursing homes. The State of Florida has very favorable asset-protection laws. But the laws are complex, and can change. What you don’t know about the Medicaid system can hurt you financially.
Misunderstandings about Medicaid Planning
Common misconceptions about one’s ability to qualify for Medicaid to cover nursing home costs can lead to the wrong actions, or no action. Both can have disastrous results.
An example is if someone sells their home as a last resort to produce the cash they need to keep paying nursing home costs. They assume they do not meet the criteria for assets required by the Medicaid system.
The truth is, most often your home is not considered as a “countable” asset when calculating Medicaid eligibility. There are other types of assets that are exempt, but your home is likely your largest asset.
Other people assume they have too many assets, or too much income to be eligible. Again this is where, rather than seeking advice from a knowledgeable, local St. Petersburg Medicaid attorney, their knowledge base is limited to friends and family who have a limited grasp of the Florida Medicaid laws.
I assure you that you don’t have to be poor or destitute to qualify for Medicaid coverage. Medicaid planning is all about arranging your affairs in ways that will allow you to protect your assets.
Don’t lose the opportunities that are available to you through Medicaid.
With professional legal help, it is quite feasible to qualify for Medicaid while preserving your assets. It is never too late or too early to start.
When you need guidance from a Pinellas County Medicaid planning attorney, don’t hesitate to contact me. I may be able to help you legally arrange your affairs so that Medicaid can pay for much, if not all, of your nursing home care expenses.
I would like to give you immediate access to my book on Florida Medicaid planning. It’s entitled, Protecting Your Family’s Assets in Florida, and it is all about how to legally use Medicaid to pay for nursing home and assisted living care.
Contact John Frazier, St. Petersburg Medicaid attorney today for a free telephone consultation.
Our law office serves the entire Pinellas County area including St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Indian Rocks Beach, Pinellas Park, Seminole and Largo.