
Medicaid Planning
The Medicaid programs which are generally applicable to our clients are Home Care (a/k/a “Community”) Medicaid and nursing home (a/k/a “Chronic Care”) Medicaid. These types of Medicaid provide assistance to individuals who are 65 or older, disabled or blind, and who qualify based on certain financial and income rules. Medicaid benefits vary from state to state, and eligibility is based on strict guidelines.
Home Care (Community) refers to Medicaid-covered services for clients seeking assistance with their “activities of daily living” while residing in their home. Home Care Medicaid can also provide for individuals seeking care in adult model day care programs and for certain assisted living facilities (there are a limited number of assisted living facilities which will accept Medicaid as part of the New York State “ALP” program). There are new rules set to be implemented in October 2020 which will dramatically affect one's ability to qualify for Community based Medicaid.
Nursing Home Medicaid (Chronic Care) refers to the assistance provided to those individuals who require long-term care in a skilled facility. Typically these individuals have exceeded their Medicare coverage and are no longer rehabilitating. Due to the nature of certain illnesses, a skilled facility may be the best and only option. It should be noted that the average cost of a nursing home in the NY Metro area and the Long Island region ranges from $12,000 to over $22,000 per month.
At the Law Office of Sandra N. Busell, we work with each family individually to determine the appropriate Medicaid planning strategies, including structured gifting strategies.