Advice Concerning Medicaid Planning and Eligibility

Planning for retirement and caring for elderly family members requires you to consider Medicaid. Medicaid is a federally sponsored health insurance program for elderly Americans who live on a modest income. One of the main concerns with Medicaid involves eligibility. When considering applying for Medicaid, speak to Donna J. Jackson, Attorney at Law, P.C. She represents people seeking Medicaid throughout the counties of Oklahoma, Cleveland, and Canadian.

How to Qualify for Medicaid

Qualifying for Medicaid is complicated, confusing, and requires the counsel of an experienced estate planning attorney. Medicaid eligibility is determined by examining your assets and income. There are different requirements for married and single individuals.

There are three main requirements used to determine Medicaid eligibility:

• Categorical eligibility: The person must be a U.S. citizen suffering a physical or mental impairments requiring nursing home care.
  
  
• Income Requirements: Using the means test, both you and your well spouse may only make a certain amount of income to qualify for benefits
  
  
• Asset Requirements: Complicated exempt and nonexempt property considerations are used to determine the amount of assets you and your spouse may own to qualify for Medicaid. These are complicated considerations, requiring the knowledge of an experienced attorney. Attorney Donna J. Jackson has over twenty years experience helping Oklahoma residents qualify for Medicaid.

Spending Down and Medicaid Planning

Applying for Medicaid involves determining your eligibility and spending down your estate. If you do not meet Medicaid eligibility, you may still qualify for benefits for large medical expenses. Spending down occurs when you are required to pay a portion of your medical expenses while Medicaid pays the rest. You may also spend down on assets that will not disqualify your from benefits. Examples of assets that can be spent down are repairs to your home or other exempt assets.

Medicaid planning is a complicated area of the law that has recently undergone dramatic changes. It is important to speak to an attorney versed on the new laws. Call lawyer Donna J. Jackson at 405-840-1874. Fill out the contact us form to submit a question to us.