Elders are often concerned that the cost of long-term care will deplete their estates. Specifically, the cost of nursing home care in Massachusetts is now estimated at between $90,000.00 and $115,000.00 per year. As such, many elders turn to Medicaid, referred to as MassHealth in Massachusetts, which is a joint federal-state program that pays for nursing home care for individuals that meet their stringent financial eligibility rules.
The Medicaid application is often a difficult and time-consuming to complete. The long look-back period and the ever-changing use of asset protection techniques complicate the application process. The supporting documents necessary for a successful application include a birth certificate, health insurance cards and premium information, 36 months of bank statements, three years of tax returns, investment information and insurance policies, all income checks, expense information and trust documents.
Numerous practitioners compare the Medicaid application process to the complexity of the multi-year tax audit. Therefore, due to the complexity of the Medicaid application process, it is strongly encouraged to utilize an experienced elder law attorney with support staff who are specifically trained in the preparation and submission of Medicaid applications
By: Todd C. Ratner, Esquire
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