While I understand that this sounds somewhat self-serving, it really is important to get the best expert guidance you can when it comes to MassHealth, which is Medicaid in Massachusetts. MassHealth is a joint federal/state program that supports the cost of nursing home care for people who qualify. Seniors (age 65 or older) must meet strict financial eligibility requirements, including limits on countable assets and income.
Here’s why it’s important to use an experienced elder law attorney:
We have extensive knowledge and experience in the area of MassHealth.
We’re professionals who’ve worked in this field every day over many years, and have developed the expertise to advise you on how to achieve your goals whether it’s maintaining independence, preserving funds for your family, or moving to a comfortable nursing home for care. We’ve spent a significant amount of time learning the ins and outs of MassHealth law and accumulating a wide variety of techniques to protect your assets.
We’ll help you save and protect your assets from MassHealth.
Many people need to first “spend down” their assets before becoming qualified for MassHealth benefits. We can help you do that in a smart way. Simply giving away assets to friends and family may actually delay your ability to qualify rather than speed it up. We’ll help you determine your countable assets and take into consideration MassHealth’s five-year look-back period. If you’re married and your spouse plans to continue living in the community, we’ll also make sure they have the amount they’re allowed to keep in their name. This is a very detailed process and we’ll use our knowledge, training, and time to make those calculations and assessments.
We can help you maximize your legal strategies to protect your assets as well as your quality of life, while saving your family significant money. By utilizing strategies such as irrevocable trusts, gifting, converting countable assets into exempt assets, and purchasing annuities, we can help arrange your assets to protect them from nursing home costs and qualify you for MassHealth assistance without losing your life’s savings.
We’re trained to serve your best interests and have no conflict of interest.
We have the training and experience to look for all the various ways you can get the best financial result. If you’re in a nursing home that refers you to a non-lawyer to assist in preparing the MassHealth application, the preparer is loyal to two entities—you and the nursing home that provides the referrals. That preparer might not have your best interests at heart. Nursing homes make more profit when you’re spending down your assets than when you’ve qualified for MassHealth benefits. However, we’re trained and required by the rules of professional conduct to act only in your best interest.
We’ll file your MassHealth application for you.
MassHealth has a lot of complicated rules, and you have to file a detailed application in order to try to get financial help from it. We’ll help you through the burdensome and often confusing application process for MassHealth benefits. Properly completing this time-sensitive application is crucial to obtaining MassHealth benefits.
The Heritage Law Center can walk you through the entire MassHealth eligibility application and process, making it easier for you to protect your assets and benefit from MassHealth coverage. Call us today at (619) 765-9307 or send an email to mkarr@maheritagelawcenter.com to schedule a free consultation today.
