Medicaid planner verses elder law attorney

Marie67

Hello All,

With my DH getting harder to take care of, I'm looking into long term care instead of caregiving at home. With our financial status, I'm pretty sure he can qualify for medicaid. I'm not sure if I should contact a Medicaid planner or an elder law attorney. What are your suggestions?

Ed1937

Certainly a Medicaid planner would be top bet for Medicaid, but a CELA should also be able to handle that easy enough, as well as all other legal stuff that might be required. A CELA would be best to protect any assets, so that would be my choice to handle everything unless you know for sure that Medicaid is the only thing you'll need. Just my opinion. Others may disagree.

JoseyWales

My 2 cents. Meet with a CELA to see exactly what your financial situation is, even if you don't think you need to. A lot of CELAs will do a free consultation meeting. If there's nothing financial that you really need to worry about, then maybe just go with a Medicaid planner. Although I'll say that my husband's facility would have helped me with Medicaid for free if that had been all I needed.

So many variables. See a CELA first, just to be safe.

Jo C.

CELA to get things assessed and addressed for the here and now as well as for the long term future is a positive.  NOTE:  One does not need to pay for a Medicaid "planner" or an attorney to apply for Medicaid.  It is not that hard to do.

If one has a paid planner, one still has to search for, find, and provide all the paperwork and certificates that Medicaid asks to be submitted with the application form, so you do all the hardest part of the work.  The form is not that difficult to fill out.

I have applied for Medicaid twice for two Loved Ones.  Finding the birth certificates, IDs, marriage certificates, divorce papers, military discharge information, etc.; was the hard part. Once one has that all put together, the application was long, but was easy . . . HOWEVER . . .  if you decide to do this, just be sure, after you are done, to go over the application again to ensure you have left nothing blank. Make a copy of the form and paperwork and then send it to Medicaid by Certified Mail if you choose not to do it on computer.   A Medicaid case worker will be assigned; if there is a question, they will contact you.  There are state laws governing how long Medicaid can take to process the application which makes things faster as long as you have  provided all the certificates and have filled out the application completely.  In most states, if one has had to pay money up front to get a LO admitted to a care facility, once Medicaid is approved, in most states, Medicaid will reimburse family for up to three months that has been paid if the applicant qualified for Medicaid at that time.  You may want to check this for your state.

That is pretty much what I experienced.  No need to throw dollars at outside help if one does not wish to do so when it is an easy process, unless you are feeling unsure and are more comfortable and wish to have an experienced planner and have the budget to do so.  AND . . yes; social workers at care facilities or with hospice and palliative care can also assist with an application.  It is a personal preference.  My experience may not be yours; I explained mine for sharing.

J.