Making Plans When You’re In A Health Care Crisis

Life is filled with unexpected turns. You or a loved one may find yourself in sudden need of health care assistance, much sooner than planned. For example, Medicaid applications often require lengthy lookback periods and if you find yourself in sudden need of care but haven’t planned in advance, you can end up paying out of pocket. Crisis planning allows you to qualify for Medicaid as quickly as possible to minimize your out of pocket costs.

This type of planning can vary on many factors, such as if you are a single person or a married couple. Whatever your unique situation, crisis planning allows you to shift a large portion of your assets away from your estate through various means to help you quickly qualify for Medicaid. An experienced attorney will be able to help you analyze your estate and determine the fastest and most appropriate methods for protecting your assets while getting you the care you need.

This includes care in a nursing home, in-home care, and other forms of health care services, all of which can be expensive. Medicaid can help offset the cost of health care services so you or your loved one don’t drain your hard-earned assets. Crisis planning with an attorney can help protect your assets and strategize a new solution for your care needs while protecting your assets for your loved one’s future.

Nursing Home Placement And Admission

Another very important part of long-term care planning in Western New York is the selection of your nursing home and subsequent admission. The attorneys at Ingold Law PLLC are very experienced in helping our clients through this process.

Most of our clients prefer to spend as much of their retirement as possible in their home. As we start with nursing home placement, we first determine if nursing home care is absolutely needed. If the answer is yes, we then help clients through a series of steps to find the right nursing home for their needs.

We question you on the level of independence you wish to maintain, as well as assess what your current and future health care needs will allow.

We take a look at your financial situation and your assets to determine what price range you can afford, and then what asset protection strategies will need to be employed to help qualify for Medicaid.

There are many factors that play into the decision of selecting a nursing home in Western New York and then applying for that facility. We can help you with this process every step of the way.

There Is Still Time To Act

A health crisis does not have to mean you will spend all your assets on long-term care. Find out what options are available to you and your family. Call 716-972-3698 to reach Ingold Law PLLC at our Williamsville location and schedule an appointment.

Medicaid New York Regional Rates

CENTRAL NEW YORK	$11,726
NORTH METROPOLITAN	$13,906
NORTHEASTERN	$12,744
NEW YORK CITY	$14,142
LONG ISLAND	$14,136
WESTERN	$12,130
ROCHESTER	$13,421

SOURCE: https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/publications/docs/gis/22ma12.pdf

New York Medicaid Qualification Income & Resource Levels 2022

FAMILY SIZE	INCOME LEVEL FOR SINGLE PEOPLE & COUPLES W/ CHILDREN	NET INCOME FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE: BLIND, DISABLED OR AGE 65+	RESOURCE LEVEL (INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND, DISABLED OR AGE 65+ ONLY)
1	ANNUAL: $18,755 MONTHLY: $1,563	ANNUAL: $11,208 MONTHLY: $934	$16,800
2	ANNUAL: $25,268 MONTHLY: $2,156	ANNUAL: $16,404 MONTHLY: $1,367	$24,600

*Effective January 1, 2022

Income and Resource Levels are subject to yearly adjustments.

You may also own a home, a car, and personal property and still be eligible. The income and resources (if applicable) of legally responsible relatives in the household will also be counted.

SOURCE: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/ochia/downloads/pdf/all_populations_medicaid.pdf