Florida Elder Law & Medicaid Planning Attorneys

When will Medicaid pay for an assisted living facility or nursing home? Will I have enough to cover all of my expenses?

The sheer cost of long-term care bears thought and proactive planning. We’re here to help guide you through the process.

How will you pay for long-term care?

When it comes to long-term care, seniors in Florida face a tough reality.

Statistically, 7 out of 10 people will need some type of long-term care.

The cost of nursing homes and assisted living facilities are astronomical, and rise every year. The costs for long-term care will be the greatest threat to your home and finances.

That’s why creating a solid estate plan now that includes Medicaid long-term care planning is the best gift you can give your future self.

How much does a nursing home cost in Florida?

Skilled Nursing Facilities (Nursing Homes), Assisted Living Communities, Private Duty Home Health Care, and other long term care options are undeniably expensive.

Even with a lifetime of savings in a retirement account, the sheer cost can drain funds quickly.

In Fort Pierce and the surrounding Florida Treasure Coast, the average cost of a private room in a nursing home is $8,943 per month (Source). That’s more than $107,000 per year.

Very few people can afford that. Can you?

Even after years of disciplined saving, nursing home bills or in-home care costs can quickly deplete your bank account in a matter of months.

Our forward-thinking approach to long-term care and Medicaid means anticipating these and other hurdles so you can have complete peace of mind for your tomorrow.

Contact us to get started today.

A closer look at Florida Medicaid

Medicaid is the largest provider of financial assistance for nursing home residents in the United States.
Since Medicaid is a joint federal and state program, it is subject to many laws and regulations that determine individual eligibility.

Even though Medicaid can help nursing home residents pay their bills, acceptance is challenging, and eligibility can be jeopardized depending on your financial situation.

Our team at The Estate, Trust, & Elder Law Firm is made up of Florida Elder Law & Medicaid attorneys that know how to plan and strategize for the long-term so that our clients can get every benefit available to them.

Long-term care planning isn’t something to put off. Call us at (772) 828-2588 or click here to schedule an appointment and get started.

In Florida, many factors play into Medicaid eligibility which our attorneys will look at with you, including:

Asset limit (depending on marital status)
Income limit
Which resources are exempt (non-countable)
How to protect retirement types of assets
The effect that gifting of assets has on when you will qualify for Medicaid assistance
Legal planning options to maximize exempt resources

If you or a loved one is facing a nursing home stay, don’t wait. Call us at (772) 828-2588 to learn how we can help.

“

Do something today that your future self will thank you for.

– Sean Patrick Flanery

”

Medicaid planning is complicated.

We can help.

There are many solutions we look at when determining how to cover the cost of long term care:

Proper asset protection planning before you are sick, long-term care insurance, Veterans Benefits, and Medicaid Benefits. These are all options that our experienced team will explore with you.

Proactive estate planning is what we strive for with our clients because it helps eliminate a large degree of future stress and anxiety.

But even if your loved one is already in a nursing home, it’s not too late.

Our job is to help guide you through a complicated and bureaucratic process. As your co-pilot, we plan a route and help keep you aware of where we are on the journey.

Common Medicaid myths

There are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to receiving Medicaid benefits in Florida.

Here are a few of the common Medicaid myths we see:

You don’t qualify for Medicaid in Florida if you own a home

False.
Most states won’t count a primary residence as a countable resource if someone is still living in it.

There are such things as the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program, which files claims against estates to recover expenses after a beneficiary passes.

However, proper Elder Law planning with an experienced attorney can help prevent this.

You can give your assets away and become immediately eligible for Medicaid

False.
Medicaid has a five-year lookback period. They will investigate every single transfer of money you’ve made for five years prior to the day you apply for Medicaid.

Example: You put in an application for Medicaid on September 15, 2022. Medicaid will look between 2017-2022 for any penalties, including gifting and transferring your assets to your kids.

You can’t qualify for Medicaid unless you're broke

False.
Medicaid isn’t made for a specific demographic. it’s made to help eligible individuals pay for nursing homes and other long-term care costs.

Many of our clients who need Medicaid were middle or even upper-middle-class earners and need a strategy that protects a lifetime of savings.

I have Medicare, so I don’t need Medicaid

False.
People are often confused over the differences between Medicare and Medicaid.

Medicare is an entitlement program that provides health coverage for people after they turn 65. Medicare doesn’t cover skilled nursing expenses, except in very limited short-term circumstances.

Florida’s premier law firm for Medicaid long-term care planning.

Get in the driver’s seat to take control of your tomorrow.

Talking about going into a nursing home with your spouse or with aging parents is not an easy conversation.

Whether it’s proactive planning for many years from now or crisis planning to manage assets after your loved one is already in a home, at The Estate, Trust, & Elder Law Firm, we are committed to providing the best possible solutions—now and in the future.

Contact us at (772) 828-2588 to get started today.

Get ready for tomorrow by starting today.

Our team has experience, knowledge, and insight to guide our Treasure Coast clients through the complex web of laws, rules, and regulations that govern Medicaid eligibility.

That’s why our first conversation with new clients is a discussion to see where we can provide the most benefit. It helps us nail down what’s important to you and your family going forward. With that in mind, we can start to shape the legal framework that protects your vision.