Obtaining Medicaid for Nursing Home Care in Florida

If you are interested in obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida, you are in the right place. It is also important to know that you can have substantial assets and still legally qualify for Medicaid. The cost of nursing home care has grown considerably in most of the USA. Florida is no exception. Roughly, the average cost of nursing home care in Florida is at least $5000 for a month.

The Need to Hire an Attorney

If you don’t have any resources to pay for nursing home care then you need to make application to the state for Medicaid coverage. You will need to understand the eligibility criteria and submit a correct application. If you are good in decoding the official jargon, you may proceed further and submit the application by yourself. If you don’t have many assets, you may have no problem being approved. If you do have assets above the level allowed those assets could be legally restructured so you would qualify. The chances are you will not be in a situation to do all this by yourself. Probably your best bet is to consult a knowledgeable Elder Law attorney in Florida who does this type of Medicaid planning work routinely. A good attorney could help you legally obtain Medicaid support even if you have substantial assets.

I suggest you go to my website to read more free articles on how to qualify for Medicaid and get the free download of two book chapters. You will be better informed if you do. There is a strong likelihood of obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida (even with substantial assets), an attorney who knows the Medicaid planning process could make it happen for you.

An Overview Of Medicaid

Medicaid is a healthcare support system, which is jointly funded by both the federal and the state government. Different states have different names for the program. For example, in Florida, and many other states, it is known simply as Medicaid, while in California it is called Medi-Cal.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria vary from state to state. The criteria for obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida focuses on three aspects: health, income, and assets of the applicant (and any spouse). It is much too complex to go into great detail in this article, but you will find some idea of what the state will look at, so keep reading.

Health

The health of the applicant is assessed by The Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA). Their report determines whether a person will obtain Medicaid or not. If the person is quite ill – like not being able to do even the routine physical activities – he or she may become eligible easily at least from a medical perspective. In addition, the applicant must be undergoing care in one of the approved nursing homes or assisted living facilities.

Income

The DCF income criteria for obtaining Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida are clear. The monthly income of the applicant – including the pension, social security, and other benefits from the state – must be less than $2022 per month in 2009. The income of the spouse is not generally considered in the calculation. However, if the spouse has been receiving Medicaid or has applied for Medicaid, the income of the spouse should naturally be less than $2022 per month in 2009. If your monthly income is over this amount, there are legal strategies to bring it down below this amount. This is where a Medicaid planning attorney can be extremely valuable to you.

Assets

The assets of the Medicaid applicant need to be worth less than $2000 and the asset of the spouse need to be worth less than $109,560. There are a number of other clauses in the asset criteria for getting DCF to approve Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida. Here again there are legal strategies that a Florida attorney who understands Medicaid planning would know, which can bring your assets below the level required. So don’t think you have too many assets, until you have talked with me or another Florida attorney who is knowledgeable in Medicaid planning.