Elder law is a field of law dedicated to helping seniors with the specific legal issues which become more likely to arise as you age. One of the most important of those issues is the need for nursing home care. Nursing home care can become essential when you can no longer live on your own, but unfortunately it can be devastatingly expensive. With the help of an elder law attorney, however, you can create a plan to qualify for Medicaid, protect your assets, and get your nursing home paid for.
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Kulas & Crawford is an elder law firm which offers many important services, including Medicaid planning. While the term elder law suggests the services we offer are only for seniors, this is actually misleading. While we assist seniors with Medicaid planning and other issues they face, we also help people of all ages to protect themselves from some of the inevitable issues that come with aging.
The sooner you contact us, the more of your assets we can protect and the better equipped you will be for the aging process. If you are in Port St. Lucie or Vero Beach Florida and you want assistance from an attorney with extensive knowledge of elder law, give us a call for personalized advice. We can also provide some answers to key questions about elder law and Medicaid including:
- When should I consult with an elder law attorney in Vero Beach?
- What is Medicaid planning and why does it matter?
- How can a Port St. Lucie elder law and Medicaid planning lawyer help me?
Why Should I Consult with an Elder Law Attorney?
Consulting with an elder law attorney is very important to make sure you protect your autonomy and your assets. The sooner you contact a legal professional to make a Medicaid plan, an incapacity plan, and an estate plan, the sooner you and your family can have protection and peace of mind.
Many people mistakenly believe they have all the time in the world to create a plan for their future, while others believe incapacity and estate planning are only concerns for the elderly. This is simply untrue. As soon as you have any family members, and especially children, depending upon you, you need a plan so they are provided for in case something happens to you. Even if you are on your own, you need to ensure you have named someone to act on your behalf, make your decisions, and manage your affairs if you become ill or injured.
Making your plans for the future needs to be done before something happens, because it will be too late to protect your assets and determine who should inherit or make decisions after a death, an illness or an accident.
You also do not want to wait too long to find ways to protect your assets. If you end up needing nursing home care – which can happen for a wide variety of reasons and which may even occur when you are young- you need to have a Medicaid plan in place well in advance. If less than five years have passed since you took steps to protect assets, there may be a period of disqualification before your nursing home care is covered. This could lead to financial loss.
What is Medicaid Planning and Why Does it Matter?
Medicaid planning is one of many important things an elder law attorney helps you do. Medicaid is government-provided insurance coverage available to people with low income and limited means. Those who have assets cannot typically qualify for Medicaid, unless most of their money and property are spent down to reduce their net worth. This can be devastating if you have worked to amass a nest egg and face the prospect of losing it because of nursing home care costs or costly medical expenditures.
Medicaid planning makes it possible to structure asset ownership strategically so there is no spend down needed. You must start early, but you should be able to protect a significant amount of your assets so a nursing home admission isn’t financially devastating for you and your loved ones.
How can a Port St. Lucie Medicaid planning and elder law attorney help me?
Kulas & Crawford has a long track record of providing comprehensive elder law help to clients in Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, FL and surrounding localities. Our legal team understands not just Medicaid planning rules but also how to use available legal tools to provide comprehensive protection for seniors.
If you want to take control and ensure you and your family will be secure no matter what the future brings, now is the time to start. Give us a call at 772-398-0720 or contact us online to learn about the ways in which we can help you with your plan to prepare for the aging process.
