Medicaid Eligibility

The monthly cost of long-term care in Idaho typically range between $5,000 and $8,000 – and the costs continue to rise. Paying for long-term care has financially devastated many American families as they seek to provide the necessary care for their loved ones. We can help you structure and implement a plan to ensure you or your loved one receives the care they require without facing financial devastation.

Medicaid is a government program jointly administered by federal and state governments. Idaho Medicaid provides long-term care assistance to seniors with assets and income below certain limits. The Medicaid eligibility requirements are complex and difficult to understand. The regulations characterize certain types of assets as “available resources” while other assets, “exempt resources,” are not considered during the eligibility process. Understanding this terminology, including the rules surrounding the “five year look-back period,” is crucial to implementing a proper Medicaid eligibility plan.

Idaho Medicaid does not require you to exhaust your life savings and personal assets prior to becoming eligible for benefits. It is important to plan now to ensure you are educated regarding the types of assets you or your spouse many keep while receiving benefits.

The Racine Olson Elder Law and Medicaid Planning attorneys will help you understand the benefits available to help you pay for long-term care. The Idaho Medicaid AABD (Assistance for the Aged, Blind, and Disabled) program provides valuable benefits for qualified individuals who require long-term care, including in-home health care, assisted living, or skilled-nursing. The eligibility requirements for each of these benefits are similar. We can help you understand how to qualify for the appropriate benefits for your situation.

Proper Medicaid planning for a married individual can be extremely valuable. For example, the spouse who is not receiving long-term care benefits can keep up to approximately $119,220 (2017) worth of “available resources” while the other spouse receives Medicaid’s long-term care benefits. The Racine Olson Medicaid Planning attorneys can help you prepare and execute a proper Medicaid plan.

Protecting the assets you have worked hard to obtain takes strategy and planning. The Racine Olson Elder Law and Medicaid Planning attorneys will help you navigate the complexities of paying for long-term care. Many of our clients are healthy, but have the desire to plan for the possibility of the necessity of long-term care. Regardless of your current health status, contact us to schedule a consultation if you answer “yes” to any of the following questions:

• Are you or your spouse currently in need of in-home health care, assisted living, or skilled-nursing care?
• Is there any chance you or your spouse will enter an assisted living facility or nursing home within the next ten (10) years?
• Have you made any significant gifts within the past five (5) years?
• Do you have any family members with special needs?

We are available to discuss your options and answer your questions at an initial consultation. Call us toll free at 877.232.6101 or 208.232.6101 for a consultation with the Racine Olson team of Elder Law attorneys in Idaho. You can also email us directly at racine@racinelaw.net. We will answer your Idaho Elder Law questions and will help you solve your problems.