Planning for the Impact of Medicaid: One of the most complicated and fear-inducing aspects of Medicaid is the financial eligibility. The rules for the cost of long-term care are complicated and can be difficult to understand. This is especially true when the Medicaid applicant is married, as reported in the Delco Times in the article “Medicaid–Protecting Assets for a Spouse.”

While each state is different, the State of Florida mandates that to be eligible for Medicaid long-term care, the applicant may not have more than $2,000 in countable assets in their name, and a gross monthly income of not more than $2,313. That’s the 2019 asset and income limits.

There are Federal laws that mandate certain protections for a spouse, so they do not become impoverished when their spouse enters a nursing home and applies for Medicaid. This is where advance planning with an experienced elder law attorney is needed. The spouse of a Medicaid recipient living in a nursing home, who is referred to as the Community Spouse, is permitted to keep as much as $126,420, known as the “Community Spouse Resource Allowance,” without putting the Medicaid eligibility of the applicant spouse who needs long-term care at risk. The rest of the applicant spouse’s assets must be spent down. The community spouse’s assets will either have to be spent down or “planned for”. A seasoned elder law attorney is essential in this regard.

Countable assets for Medicaid include all belongings. However, there are a few exceptions. These are personal possessions, including jewelry, clothing and furniture, one car, the applicant’s principal residence (if the equity in the home does not exceed $585,500 in 2019) and certain retirement accounts under certain circumstances.

Unless an asset is specifically excluded, it is countable.

There are also Federal rules regarding how much the spouse is permitted to earn. This varies by state. In Florida as of 2019, the community spouse’s income is unlimited.

The rules regarding requests for additional income are also very complicated, so an elder law attorney’s help will be needed to ensure that the spouse’s income aligns with their state’s requirements.

These are complicated matters, and not easily navigated. Talk with an experienced elder law attorney to help plan in advance, if possible. There are many different strategies that can be implemented to help preserve & protect your assets and they are best handled with experienced professional help.

Reference: Delco Times (June 26, 2019) “Medicaid–Protecting Assets for a Spouse” and edited for Florida reference.