Burlington Medicaid attorneys can help you to take steps now to ensure that you will be able to qualify for Medicaid coverage if you need it in the future. Medicaid is an important social safety net program, but far too many people misunderstand what Medicaid does or who it can help. While you may believe that Medicaid only provides healthcare for people who are poor, and thus think you will never need Medicaid, this is not necessarily the case. A substantial portion of the population will eventually come to rely on Medicaid, and you could be one of the millions who need to obtain coverage through this program. 
Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC can explain to you why Medicaid planning is so important and can help you to make a comprehensive Medicaid plan to qualify for this means-tested benefits program without having to spend all of your money on care before you can get covered. Call today to talk with our Burlington Medicaid attorneys to learn more about the importance of Medicaid planning and to get started on putting your plans in place.
How Many People Rely on Medicaid?
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, there were approximately 97 million Americans who got help affording care through Medicaid at some time during the course of 2015. So many Americans qualified for and were covered by Medicaid for at least a part of this year, that more than 50 percent of all households in America have indicated in past surveys that someone in their home is reliant upon Medicaid.
Medicaid pays for care for children and pregnant women and low income families. But it also does something else too: it pays for long term care and nursing home care for many millions of seniors throughout the United States. In fact, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid pays for 40 percent of the costs of all long-term care services that are provided to patients within the United States. Medicaid is also the only source of insurance and health coverage for more than a third of children with disabilities and special needs, including being a primary source of long term care costs for seniors.
Because so many disabled and elderly people rely on Medicaid, the program is often an insurer of last-resort for people who would not otherwise get the care they need to be able to stay alive. Anyone could end up needing Medicaid one day, especially as people get older and the chances they will need long term care increase.
Why Medicaid is so Important to You
Planning ahead to qualify for Medicaid coverage is important because Medicaid can pay for health and personal care services that it is otherwise virtually impossible to obtain insurance to cover. If you need custodial care in a nursing home, there very likely will be no way to get an insurer to pay for this care other than Medicaid.
The problem is, Medicare and private insurance policies generally cover only skilled care, which is care that requires medical skill in a skilled nursing facility such as changing surgical bandages. For the many millions of seniors who don’t need specialized care, but who have just gotten too old or sick to do things like bathe or feed themselves, there are no insurance policies available to pay for nursing home care.
Some seniors could buy long term care insurance to pay if they need this kind of care, but there are cost issues due to very high premiums and there are coverage limitations that make it impractical for many older people to have this kind of policy. As a result, even buying long term care coverage usually isn’t a viable alternative to Medicaid.
This means Medicaid could be the only option, outside of paying privately, to pay for a nursing home. Unfortunately, if you have too many assets, you won’t be able to qualify for Medicaid to pay for your nursing home care or other long term care costs until you’ve spent those assets on care and impoverished yourself. Making a Medicaid plan allows you to avoid this, keep your wealth safe, and get covered.
Getting Help from Burlington Medicaid Attorneys
Burlington Medicaid attorneys at Unsworth LaPlante, PLLC can provide you with invaluable legal help in making a Medicaid plan so you can pay for long term care when you need it without having to spend your life savings and lose your chance to leave a legacy. To find out more about how we can help you, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call at (802) 879-7133 or contact us online to get personalized advice about the Medicaid planning process. Call today to learn more.
Ellen LaPlante
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