Many elderly Americans eventually require long-term or nursing home care. You may be surprised to learn just how many: Nearly one in two women and one in four men find themselves in nursing homes at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, nursing home care now averages between $5,000 and $9,000 a month depending on where you live, and Medicare will not pay for it. This helps explain why two out of three families run out of money within the first year of a prolonged nursing home stay.

Ready to hear some good news? At the Law Offices of Esther Hopkins, we can help you qualify for assistance from Medi-Cal, without spending down all your income or relinquishing most of your assets. We can also use a number of powerful legal tools to help you prepare financially for a nursing home stay, including promissory notes, life estates, annuities and trusts.

While Medi-Cal laws are constantly changing, one aspect of them never does: The further you plan ahead, the more options you have. And even if you or a loved one is already in a nursing home, we can use a number of legal provisions to help you get the Medi-Cal benefits you may be entitled to. We can help you prepare for the possibility of eventual nursing home care in advance, or in response to an unanticipated “crisis” situation—and in the process, protect your estate for your spouse and children.

A Medi-Cal Crisis.

A Medi-Cal crisis can be defined as a situation in which a person has already been admitted to a nursing home—or will be placed in one in the near future—and has been informed that they have too many assets to qualify for Medi-Cal assistance. It is important to note that information provided by nursing home intake staff, social workers, Medi-Cal workers, and other well-meaning professionals is often incorrect. They have good intentions, but simply don’t know the subtle nuances and ever-changing laws surrounding Medi-Cal eligibility. If you or a loved one is currently facing a Medi-Cal crisis situation, please contact us to learn how we may be able to help you get assistance from Medi-Cal and protect your life savings.

Non-Crisis Medi-Cal Planning.

Non-crisis Medi-Cal planning is for those who are currently healthy but want to ensure they will be prepared and able to protect their life savings if they do become incapacitated and unable to care for themselves. We can design an estate plan that allows you and your family to protect your assets and manage your personal and financial affairs in the event of incapacity. It is extremely important that you have your plan prepared by a firm with experience in elder law. A well-designed plan not only ensures you will be adequately cared for if you become incapacitated, it can also help you enjoy greater peace of mind.

What you must know before applying for Medi-Cal assistance.

The greatest advice we can give you about applying for Medi-Cal assistance is this: Don’t file on your own unless you are absolutely certain you qualify. This is because once you apply, the flexibility to best protect your assets may be gone. If your level of wealth shows that you have more than the allowable amount, you will be required to spend-down your assets.

Applying for assistance from Medi-Cal requires filling out piles of paperwork and answering many confusing questions. Only an experienced elder law attorney can give you the best chance of receiving the assistance you may be entitled to. Please call us before you file a Medi-Cal application. We can quickly determine if it is possible to save you money. And even if you have already filed and were denied benefits in the past, don’t give up! We may be able to help you win an appeal.