Top Things to Know About Medicaid for Older Adults

If you have earned a relatively good income for most of your adult life, or your elderly parents lived relatively comfortably on a steady salary during their working years, the idea that you need to know about Medicaid and Medicaid planning may surprise you. For many Connecticut residents, they know about Medicaid solely as a federal program that pays for health care costs for people with limited assets and low incomes. In general, this is true — people become eligible for Medicaid by having a limited income and resources. But what you may not know is that a majority of older adults who require long-term care in a nursing home will need to rely on Medicaid to pay for their care, even if they never came close to qualifying for Medicaid previously.

Indeed, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid is “the principal source of long-term care coverage for people in the United States.” Whether you have an elderly parent who could soon require long-term care, or you want to plan ahead for yourself, the following are some key things to know about Medicaid for older adults in Connecticut.

Medicaid May Be Described as Title XIX or Title 19

Title XIX of the Social Security Act governs the Medicaid program, and each state has its own specific Medicaid guidelines. Accordingly, if you see a reference to Title XIX or Title 19, you are seeing a reference to Medicaid.

Majority of Older Adults Will Need to Rely on Medicaid for Long-Term Care

Long-term care in America, and especially in Connecticut, is extremely expensive. Accordingly, most older adults who require long-term care will need to rely on Medicaid to pay for it. Otherwise, they would quickly spend a significant amount of their savings on long-term care alone.

Medicaid, Not Medicare, Covers Long-Term Care in Nursing Homes and Assisted-Living Facilities

Many older adults who have Medicare coverage assume that Medicare will pay for long-term care, but it does not. If your elderly parent currently has Medicare coverage, it is critical to know that Medicare will not pay for the types of long-term care stays that are often necessary.

Qualifying for Medicaid Can Require Spending Down If You Do Not Plan Ahead

If you do not make plans to protect your assets in order to become eligible for Medicaid long-term care coverage, you will need to spend down your savings to a very small amount. In order to qualify for Medicaid long-term care coverage currently in Connecticut, asset limits are set at $1,600 for a single person and $2,400 for a married person.

Contact a Connecticut Elder Law Attorney 

Do you have an elderly parent who could soon need long-term care? Or have you begun to think ahead about the possibilities of your own needs for long-term care in the future? Planning ahead, and as soon as possible, is the best way to approach asset protection and long-term care needs. An experienced Canton elder lawyer at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can speak with you today about Medicaid eligibility, options that may be available for asset protection, and other tools to assist with long-term care planning in Connecticut. We can answer any questions you have about Title XIX and other aspects of long-term care in the state. Contact us today for assistance.

Source:

portal.ct.gov/-/media/dds/factsheets/medicaid_title_19_fact_sheet.pdf

kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/10-things-to-know-about-medicaid/

portal.ct.gov/-/media/departments-and-agencies/dss/brochures/medical-medicaid-medicare/spndown.pdf