What Should I Know About Title XIX?

Whether you are starting to think ahead about Medicaid planning and long-term care issues for yourself, or your elderly parents are in need of immediate assistance due to a need for long-term care and options for paying for a nursing home, it is important to know about Title XIX. If you have started to conduct your own research into Medicaid planning and paying for nursing homes or other long-term care in Connecticut, you may have already come across some information about Title XIX. Given that the relationship between federal and Connecticut state laws can often be confusing, and since Title XIX is a key part of Medicaid coverage for nursing home stays, it is important to learn more about this federal law and how it impacts long-term care options.

We want to emphasize that you do not need to figure out everything on your own — a Connecticut elder lawyer is here to help. But it is important to have general information so that you can be informed and play an active role in any Medicaid planning process.

What is Title XIX? 

When someone refers to Title XIX in relation to long-term care, they are referring to Title XIX of the Social Security Act, which created Medicaid. Medicaid is a federal program through which medical and health care is provided for people who have limited assets. For older adults, Medicaid can be essential to pay for nursing home care or other forms of long-term care.

Although Medicaid was created through this federal law, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is a federal agency, Medicaid is a program that is administered by states. As such, when you need Medicaid to pay for long-term care for an older adult in a nursing home, you need to apply through Connecticut Title XIX application process.

Eligibility for Medicaid in Connecticut 

In order to be eligible to have Medicaid, through Title XIX, pay for nursing home care for an older adult, the older adult must qualify for Connecticut Medicaid coverage. First, a person seeking Connecticut Medicaid coverage must be a US citizen and must also be a legal resident of Connecticut. Then there are income and asset limits to consider.

Various assets are considered “countable” for Medicaid eligibility purposes (while some assets are not countable). If a person seeking long-term care covered by Medicaid has too many assets, then they will need to “spend down.” This is a complex process, and the asset limits may vary depending on your circumstances. As such, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible from an elder law attorney in Canton, Connecticut.

Contact a Canton Elder Lawyer Today 

Whether you have questions about Medicaid and Title XIX applicability for yourself in your own Medicaid planning, or you need assistance with Medicaid planning for an elderly parent. an experienced Canton elder law attorney at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can help. We have extensive experience representing clients in Medicaid planning and Title XIX matters in Connecticut, and we can answer any questions you have today and begin working with you on any issues that have arisen. Contact us for more information.

 Sources:

ssa.gov/OP_Home/ssact/title19/1900.htm

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