As we approach our third act, new terminology comes into our daily lives that we may have heard before, but maybe never gave much thought to. Terms like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Long-Term Care, and so on, can become sources of anxiety, if we don’t truly understand them. Therefore, today we’re answering some of the fundamental questions about Medicaid for nursing home care, in the hopes that we can alleviate at least one source of anxiety for you.

Question #1 – What is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a state and federal government-funded program that provides medical services to financially eligible individuals. Unlike Medicare, you do not have to be elderly to qualify for Medicaid, and many elderly individuals receive Medicaid benefits, including nursing home care. Every state administers its own version of Medicaid. For more information on Medicaid programs in your state, visit the Medicaid website, and select your state.

Question #2 – What are Medicaid’s basic financial eligibility requirements for nursing home care?

To determine your eligibility for nursing home benefits under Medicaid, the government will look at your income and resources in a given month to ensure you are within the legal limits for Medicaid benefits. To qualify for Medicaid, your monthly income must be less than the Medicaid rate for nursing home care, plus your typical monthly healthcare expenses. If you are eligible, you are allowed to keep $70 of your income for personal use. The rest is taken to pay for your care.

Question #3 – What is the Medically Needy Program under Medicaid?

For individuals that may exceed the financial limits to receive Medicaid, they may still qualify to receive Medicaid benefits under the medically needy program. This program allows individuals with medical needs to “spend down” their income to acceptable rates, by paying for medical care for which they have no insurance. For individuals over the age of 65, states are required to allow you to spend down your income regardless of medical necessity.

Question #4 – What resources can we have if my spouse is applying for Medicaid?

When a married couple applies for Medicaid, both spouses’ income and resources are included in the qualifying calculations. You may have all of the “exempt” resources, like an automobile and a house, along with one non-exempt item that does not exceed a set value (currently just over $58,000), such as cash or investments. Once your spouse qualifies for Medicaid, after one year, all excess income and resources must be transferred to the non-Medicaid-benefitted individual. That spouse may also accrue income and resources over and above the limits that Medicaid imposes on the benefitted spouse.

More information can be found on the Medicaid website, including requirements and benefits information for the state in which you reside.

References:

Medicaid.gov. (Accessed November 28, 2019) https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/index.html

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys