To be eligible for Medicaid, you have to pass three tests. The first test is a medical-necessity test. A doctor will have to determine whether you, the applicant who is trying to receive Medicaid, need the care. Essentially, the doctor will assess whether you require daily assistance, the type you would receive in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
Though we will explain why we are saying this in a moment, the medical needs tests are relatively straightforward: either you need it, or you don’t. There is nothing anyone can do to make you eligible if you don’t have a medical need. However, there is also an income test and an asset test. Although we could not assist you during your medical exam, we can play a significant role in helping you with the last two tests.
The Income & Asset Tests
Both of these tests change annually. Though that may come off as a hurdle, it won’t be for an experienced and competent estate planning attorney who makes it a point to understand what the requirements are each year.
One of the things that concern most people is if they are under the impression that they make too much money and will fail the income test. Unlike the medical test, an attorney can help you get around this (legally). You may be asking the same question regarding assets. An estate planning attorney can assist you with becoming eligible for Medicaid, but they can also protect your assets while doing so.
Go Beyond the Numbers
While you are looking into the possibility of using Medicaid, you may see the numbers associated with the income and asset tests. You may see them and worry that you are disqualified although you meet the medical-necessity test due to having too many assets or too much income.
If you meet the medical-necessity test, an attorney can assist you with the other two. Lawyers do this all the time. This is the practice of law. Everything we are discussing is entirely legal, and it is something that the attorneys at the Family First Firm have handled for clients like you daily.
To learn more about the legal options available to you to pass both the asset and means test, contact the trusted legal counselors at the Family First Firm to schedule your consultation.