It is not the job of the Medicaid agency or the nursing home to tell you how to use Medicaid’s rules to help you preserve assets. The Medicaid agency basically processes your application and tells you whether you are approved for Medicaid. Even if the Medicaid agent sees ways you can preserve assets, she is unlikely to tell you.
Nursing homes receive more pay for people paying out of their own pocket than they do for those on Medicaid. Further, the person at the nursing home that assists the nursing home’s clients in applying for Medicaid is not trained to know the strategies available to preserve assets. Her job for the nursing home is to assist those clients in applying for Medicaid who have spent down their assets by paying their money to the nursing home. Her job does not include telling you all the strategies to keep you from having to pay your money to the nursing home. In fact, she might get in trouble with her employer, the nursing home, if she starts telling you such strategies, assuming she even correctly knows any.
It makes sense that these institutions should be able to support your understanding and use of Medicaid. So, it’s important to realize that while they work with the program, they can’t provide advice on planning, payment, and best practices. An elder law attorney is your best resource to provide clear and strategic approach to Medicaid planning. It’s always a good idea to do your research as well.
Additional Information on North Carolina Medicaid Assistance for Nursing Home Care:
Download a free copy of Jackie Bedard’s book, The Ultimate Guide to Paying for Nursing Home Care in North Carolina, to learn the nursing home and Medicaid secrets you need to know to avoid going broke in a nursing home and leaving your family penniless.
