Easton, PA Medicaid Planning Lawyer

When many seniors begin planning for retirement, they plan around travel, grandkids, housing, Christmas presents, and day-to-day expenses. They may even go so far as to plan for the transfer of their home and possessions to their family after their death through the creation of a will. However, they often neglect to plan for the costs of nursing home; this can be an expensive oversight, as even healthy seniors may suffer an unexpected injury or illness, and the costs of a nursing home in the Easton, Pennsylvania area can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per month. At Daly Law Offices, our experienced Easton Medicaid planning lawyer can help you qualify for Medicaid coverage so you can protect your life savings. Let us reduce your financial risk as you approach your golden years! Our legal guidance can give you peace of mind. Call today to book a free consultation and get started!

What Is Medicaid Planning? 

Medicaid is a government financial aid system that can cover the high costs of nursing home care for seniors and their families. However, qualifying for Medicaid is complicated, and requires advance planning. Our Easton Medicaid planning lawyer, Attorney Joshua N. Daly, understands state laws, federal laws, and the Medicaid application process. He can help you submit the proper documentation and restructure your assets in such a way that you have the best chances at qualifying!

Why Do You Need To Plan For Medicaid? 

Likelihood Of Requiring Nursing Home Care 

Today, more seniors than ever before are entering into assisted living facilities in their final years. One recent study found that the average period of time that a senior adult will stay in a nursing home is 272 nights, and 10% of adults will stay for longer than 1,000 nights. Medicaid planning can help you plan for what is a probability, not just a possibility,and provides a much-needed safety net in the event that you do require long-term care!

Cost of Skilled Nursing Care in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, the average cost of private and semi-private lodging in an assisted living facility can exceeds $10,000 monthly, a number that shocks many seniors and their families who are unaware of how expensive nursing home care is. Most private insurances don’t cover long-term care, and Medicare doesn’t either, so unless you are able to qualify for Medicaid, you may be forced to pay those costs out of pocket. Medicaid planning can help seniors – particularly those on fixed incomes and those in the middle-class – find another way to get the care they need without having to give up everything they have.

Qualification and Documentation

The biggest reason why you need to plan for Medicaid is because the program has strict income/resource requirements. If you live in Pennsylvania, you cannot have a certain amount in “countable” assets. This puts many seniors in a difficult catch-22; they may not have enough to afford the costs of long-term care, but they have “too much” to qualify for Medicaid. Our Easton Medicaid planning lawyer can help you convert your assets into non-countable assets, essentially shielding them from Medicaid so that they don’t count against you and you can get the coverage you need! We use a variety of legal tools, such as trusts, to allow you to still retain access to your money but keep it out of your name and out of the nursing home. We can also help you gather and submit all the required paperwork for the application. 

The 5-Year Look-Back Window

Because exceeding a certain amount in financial assets can disqualify a person from Medicaid coverage, many seniors think they can solve that problem by simply giving all they have to their children. However, Medicaid considers any gifts, asset transfers, or liquidations within 5 years of applying to count towards your resources. That’s why it is so important to plan well ahead of when you will actually need to apply for benefits!

How Daly Law Offices Can Help 

Medicaid planning is a highly complex process, and you shouldn’t go about it on your own! Working with our knowledgeable Easton medicaid planning lawyer can give you the critical legal support you need to avoid mistakes, reduce stress, and save time and money!

We can help you with…

Paperwork

Medicaid planning is mostly legal paperwork, which can be tedious and confusing. In order to restructure your assets and apply for Medicaid, you will need to create custom legal documents and provide extensive documentation regarding your income, your assets, your medical status, and more. Daly Law Offices can take care of all the paperwork for you so you can focus on enjoying your life (and so you don’t make errors that jeopardize your eligibility!). 

Personalized Advice

Every senior’s financial and medical circumstances are unique. Our Easton Medicaid planning lawyer will take the time to listen to you and get to know you, your concerns, your goals, your family dynamics, and your financial situation so we can give you personalized recommendations that make the most sense for your life.

Book A Free Consultation With Daly Law Offices Today

We’ll guide you every step of the way through the Medicaid planning process. Our lead attorney, Joshua N. Daly, has over 15 years of legal experience. He provides practical solutions and professional integrity for all of his clients, and his representation can ensure that you won’t lose everything you’ve worked for to the nursing home or become a financial burden on your family. Mr. Daly is a member of the prestigious National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), Pennsylvania Association of Elder Law Attorneys (PAELA), and Estate Planning Council of the Lehigh Valley; he has also been awarded the Lawyers of Distinction 2022. Don’t put off Medicaid planning until it’s too late. Call our Easton Medicaid planning lawyer today to book a free consultation where we will explain your options and next steps.