Long Term Care planning and arranging financial assistance with Medicaid / Medi-Cal/VA/SSI/SSDI

Planning for Long Term Care and applying for Public Assistance often involves navigating a complex maze of legal, financial, health care and government program requirements. Many people are given misinformation about spend-down, are concerned about recovery and are quoted outrageous pricing from Attorney's and other so-called experts for assistance. Without proper planning, many people spend much more than they should on Long Term Care and unnecessarily jeopardize their future care and well being, as well as the security of their family.

AmeriEstate provides guidance to those who are in need of financial assistance for Healthcare, wish to plan for their Long Term Care and protect their family's Estate. AmeriEstate Providers will review the clients’situation; determine their eligibility for Government programs, recommend legal asset and personal protection strategies, offer legal courses of action to protect the client's estate from recovery and provide them with qualified assistance that they may retain to assist them in applying to the Government for financial assistance.

The biggest concerns are usually, "How will I pay for the assistance I need?" and "Will I have to jeopardize my family’s financial security and ‘spend down’ all of my assets before I can qualify for public assistance?"

Whether you, your spouse, a parent or other loved one need to qualify for Medicaid/Medi-Cal to pay for the cost of skilled nursing care, or you need to determine if you are eligible for financial assistance through SSI/SDI/SSDI or VA Aid and Attendance Benefits for Veterans, we can help.

The answers to these and other questions are provided in your initial consultation. During this evaluation, all factors are considered such as the client’s needs and current health status, financial situation and client’s current and future legal planning.

Call us today at 800-235-0963, select option 2 and then option 2 again to schedule your personal consultation.

1. A Consultation and Evaluation for LTC Planning and Medi-Cal /VA/SSI/SSDI financial assistance. This valuable consultation will be the starting point for all clients. Only $400.
   
   
   The client will Receive:

   • A Consultation and Evaluation with our expert Providers to determine eligibility and options
   • Legal Plan Membership, which provides all other services at a discount
   • The clients’ current Estate Plan and legal documents will be assessed for suitability and usage
   • A new set of Medi-Cal enhanced Advanced Health Care Directives and Durable Power of Attorney for Asset Management will be provided to the client
   • A DocuBank card to provide immediate access to Advanced Directives & Medical information

   The client will be provided clear options and offered support, we will even credit $250 of this original consultation fee to any Immediate needs or Planning/Preplanning services they require.

2. Available Post-Consultation Services
   
• Immediate needs financial assistance with Medicare/Medi-Cal/Medicaid/ SSI/SSDI or the VA
  Whether it be MediCare or Medi-Cal/Medicaid for health care, share of cost issues, Assisted Living (ALF) and Residential Care (RCFE), nursing home care, Custodial Care (PCSP), Skilled-Nursing or In-Home Support Services (IHSS), we provide expert assistance for those needing financial and legal case management to gain access to government funding for their Healthcare or Long Term Care under Medicare/Medi-Cal/ SSI/SSDI or the Veterans Administration.
• Pre-planning/Planning for Long Term Care and Medicaid/Medi-Cal involving Legal and other Pre-Planning Strategies.
  Pre-planning/Planning for Long Term Care and Medicaid/Medi-Cal involving Legal and other Pre-Planning Strategies. For those wishing to implement Estate asset protection and legal planning strategies regarding their Long Term Care and Healthcare costs. We can assist you and your family with the needed legal planning to provide and protect your Estate, determine your eligibility for financial support and assist you in preparing for future HeathCare and Long-Term-Care needs.
• Service fee quoted after Consultation and Evaluation

Please complete the following request for your initial appointment or Call us today at 800-235-0963, select option 2 and then option 2 again to schedule your personal consultation.

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Paying for Long-Term-Care

Long-Term-Care is paid for in one or a combination of four ways:

1. Using the benefits under a private, pre-purchased long term care insurance policy
2. Spending down your personal savings and investments
3. Utilizing the social safety net of Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) paid for with your tax dollars.
4. For veteran’s of war, they may be eligible for an "Aid & Attendance Benefit" from the Veteran's Administration

Quite often people will spend all or most of their personal savings and investments and then utilize the social safety net.

What most people don’t know is that you are not required to spend down all of your resources before you are able to utilize the social safety net of Medi-Cal.

How we can help. If a nursing home is your best option, as your partner we will:

• Provide family consultations along with insurance and financial evaluations
• Advise you how to comply with the stringent eligibility requirements and get you qualified for benefits
• Complete the complex paperwork necessary to enroll you for benefits for nursing home care.
• Help protect your vital assets for your spouse and/or children

Long Term Care/Medi-Cal FAQ’s

What is Long Term Care?

Long-Term-Care is the process of planning and implementing options to assist individuals who begin the progression from healthy and independent to incapacitated and dependent.

What is the goal of Long Term Care Planning?

The goal of long-term-care planning is to help ensure that you or your loved one gets the best possible care and maintains the highest possible quality of life, whether at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home.

What types of benefits are available?

For those who do not have private long-term care insurance or are concerned about the limitations of such policies, benefits are available primarily through Medicaid. The Veterans Administration also provides benefits to Veterans and their spouses.

What is Medicaid and Medi-Cal?

Medicaid, which is administered under the name Medi-Cal in California, is a part of the social safety net funded by your federal and state tax dollars. The program provides health care; in home support services and skilled nursing home care for qualifying individuals.

What Benefits are Available Through the Veterans Administration (VA)?

The Veterans Administration "Aid and Attendance" benefits can be used to pay for care in the home, a skilled nursing facility, personal care home or an assisted living community. A single Veteran may be eligible for up to $1,645/month, while the surviving spouse of a Veteran may be eligible for up to $1,057/month. A married Veteran may be eligible for up to $1,950/month (2009).

When should you start Long Term Care planning?

Long-Term Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection can be started any time after a person enters the "long-term care cycle," meaning that a person is starting to need assistance with Activities of Daily Living (eating, dressing, bathing, toileting, transferring, and walking) or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (such as cooking, cleaning, caring for pets, paying bills and managing finances).

What if I am no longer competent?

Long-Term Care planning can be started while you are still able to make legal and financial decisions, or can be initiated by a Spouse or an adult child acting as agent under a properly-drafted Power of Attorney, even if you are already in a nursing home or receiving other long-term care assistance. In fact, the majority of our Long-Term Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection clients come to us when nursing home care is already in place or is imminent.

Can I Still Benefit From Medi-Cal Planning if I Am Already Receiving California Medi-Cal Benefits?

Absolutely. Medi-Cal planning could potentially reduce or eliminate your out of pocket "share of cost" and protect your assets from Medi-Cal estate recovery. Various asset protection strategies are often even available for mentally incapacitated Medi-Cal patients.

How Much Does Skilled Nursing Home Care Normally Cost?

Without Medi-Cal, a skilled nursing home resident can expect to pay between $4,000.00 and $7,000.00 per month. A Medi-Cal recipient often pays only a small fraction of their skilled nursing home care expenses.

Will Medi-Cal Make A Recovery Claim Against My Estate?

Medi-Cal will attempt to recover its expenses from the assets the Medi-Cal beneficiary owns at the time of his or her death, including the beneficiary’s home. Recovery is limited to the lesser of

1. The total amount of benefits a Medi-Cal beneficiary receive during his or her life, or
2. The value of the Medi-Cal beneficiary’s estate at the time of their passing

If the Medi-Cal beneficiary dies with no remaining estate, there are no assets for Medi-Cal to recover against.

Will I Lose My Home If I Receive Medi-Cal?

As stated above, Medi-Cal will attempt to recover its expenses from the assets the Medi-Cal beneficiary owns at the time of his or her death, including the beneficiary’s home, however, Your home can be protected with effective Medi-Cal planning. Transferring assets out of the Medi-Cal beneficiary's name should only be done under the guidance of a qualified elder law attorney to avoid any potential Medi-Cal transfer penalties.

Can I Make A Large Gift To Immediately Qualify For Medi-Cal Benefits?

Medi-Cal has strict regulations concerning asset transfers. Improper transfers may result in a significant "period of ineligibility" during which an individual cannot receive long-term care Medi-Cal benefits. Transfers can also have negative estate and capital gains tax ramifications. Legal advice should be obtained before making any transfers of assets.

My Mother Has Been A Resident At A Skilled Nursing Home For The Past Six Months. Can She Be Reimbursed For Past Nursing Home Expenses?

Medi-Cal benefits can be obtained retroactively for the three months immediately preceding your application month as long as the eligibility requirements were met for those months.

How we can help. If a nursing home is your best option, as your partner we will:

• Provide family consultations along with insurance and financial evaluations
• Advise you how to comply with the stringent eligibility requirements and get you qualified for benefits
• Complete the complex paperwork necessary to enroll you for benefits for nursing home care.
• Help protect your vital assets for your spouse and/or children

Disability and Financial Public Assistance

For the past eight years AmeriEstate’s key partners and provider attorneys have been called upon by clients to navigate the disability bureaucracies – SSI / SSDI/ SDI – to get benefits restored, gain original eligibility, or devise strategies to retain benefits.

How do I know when I qualify for assistance and what type of assistance do I need?

Healthy and Independent	NO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Living at Home but require some assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) Bathing Dressing Transferring from bed or chair Walking Eating Toile Use Grooming	PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Living at home but require assistance with Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL’s) Use of the telephone (look up numbers, dial, answer) Traveling via car or public transportation Food or clothes shopping (regardless of transport) Meal preparation Housework Medication use (Preparing and taking correct dose) Management of money (write checks, pays bills)	PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Unable to live at home or prefer to reside in Assisted Living Facility to receive support services for ADL’s and IADL’s.	NO PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
Imminent and foreseeable confinement in Skilled Nursing Facility	PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE