Also known as Medical Assistance in Wisconsin, most families first learn about Medicaid when an elderly loved one can no longer live at home. They start looking at assisted living facilities and nursing homes—and at bills of $5,000-$10,000 per month. They know the savings won’t last forever. Then what?
Thankfully, Medicaid pays for the long-term care of elderly people, even those who have middle-class income and assets, once their assets fall below a certain level.
The fact is that a third of people turning age 65 today will deplete their savings during their lives and need to rely on Medicaid. It has become the de facto long-term care insurance policy for the middle class.
Of Americans age 55 and older have no long-term care insurance.
Average cost of a nursing home in Wisconsin
Of people turning 65 today will deplete their life’s savings and need Medicaid to pay for long-term care.
“Since January, everything that can go wrong has,” she said. We had done estate planning for her mother a year and a half ago, and now mom was in a nursing home. Daughter had problems of her own, too. She wasn’t the first loved one I’ve seen overburdened with all the financial and medical problems of a parent in addition to her own.
She dropped a large stack of papers, folders, and a binder on my desk. I started sifting through them, looking for any bits of information I could clarify.
The largest stack was a copy of a Medicaid application submitted for her mom. It was the third application in as many months. The first application she had tried herself. Denied. A hospital worker prepared the second. Denied. This one was prepared by someone in the nursing home’s business office.
At least I was able to tell her this application wasn’t denied—yet. The key was a single piece of paper, front and back, titled “Notice of Proof.” It said she had one week to get more proof of her mother’s finances, or the application would be denied. Just like the others had been.
She looked exasperated when I explained this. “I’ve already given them all that, many times.” But whatever she gave them wasn’t enough. Unfortunately, the notice didn’t tell her what she really needed to get.
On top of all that, when she called the county to ask questions, the workers wouldn’t talk to her. They said they didn’t have an authorization to speak to her. I looked at the application and saw the problem: the authorization form had been submitted without a required signature. A quick call and a fax fixed that, at least.
But that wasn’t the only mistake the nursing home had made on the application. I circled a few others for her. Of course, the home was pressuring her to pay all the while—they even suggested using a credit card.
At the end of it all she thanked me for looking things over and helping her understand. That was the first time she didn’t sound frustrated or angry or just overwhelmed. It wasn’t over; not by a long shot. But at least I had been able to give her a chance.
Your loved one begins to need the care and support of others. You and your family probably provide this care at home for as long as you can.
At some point, though, your loved one needs more care than you can provide. You and your family might begin paying an at-home caregiver. Eventually you are forced to consider moving your loved one to an assisted living facility or nursing home.
Your loved one moves to an assisted living facility or nursing home. You and your family’s primary challenge is finding a good facility and figuring out how to pay for it. You might schedule a consultation with me for help.
You start paying the bill out of savings. It’s $5,000-10,000 per month; you start wondering what will happen when the money runs out. The facility staff try to reassure you that Medicaid will pay, but the details are a little fuzzy and you aren’t so sure. You start looking for more information.
If you haven’t talked to me already, this is the time to have a consultation. You need someone who can answer your questions about Medicaid confidently. I help you and your family plan ahead.
As you prepare for needing Medicaid, I help you use the remaining savings wisely and avoid problems that could derail an application. I help you be proactive and understand how things like taxes will change. I might do estate planning for you to ensure you and your family have the legal authority to make the decisions you’ll need to make.
When the time comes, I prepare a Medicaid application. I address any issues as it is processed and ensure the process goes smoothly.
When the application is approved, everybody breathes a sigh of relief. Your loved one will continue to get the care he or she needs.
If the application is denied, I can tell you why it was denied and how to move forward. I can help you appeal the denial or put together a new application with a better chance of success.
After the Medicaid application is approved, the work is not over. Eligibility is reviewed every year, and you might need to transfer assets before the first year is over. I continue to guide you and answer questions.
You need information, certainty, clarity, and good advice. I provide that in paid consultations.
My Medicaid consultations are the best way to get started. In two hours, I can give you a lot of good advice and tell you your options. Sometimes this consultation is all a family needs to handle a Medicaid application confidently and avoid problems.
Finding a new home for your loved one is daunting. I can give you the information and guidance you need to make a great choice.
After you’ve made your choice, assisted living facilities and nursing homes require admission agreements. These are contracts I can review for you so you know what you’re being asked to sign.
I help clients comply with the rules for Medicaid eligibility while making the most of their resources. I create a proactive plan for how to transition from privately paying to Medicaid, which can include financial tools like Medicaid-compliant annuities.
I handle the entire Medicaid application process for you, ensuring your application is processed smoothly, potential problems are avoided, and you or your loved one gets needed care.
I help address any issues that come up after an application has been processed. This includes appealing a denial, preparing for yearly reviews, and giving ongoing advice.