Absolutely! It is similar to doing tax planning and estate planning. These strategies have been mainstream practices for decades. You
just need to understand and follow the Medi-Cal qualifying guidelines.
Only if you give
assets away (to children, for example) within thirty (30) months before applying for Medi-Cal benefits. There is no Look Back for gifts between spouses and no Look Back when transferring assets from "Non
Exempt" to "Exempt" categories in order to qualify for Medi-Cal.
If your
family member (over age 65) had cancer, heart disease or any other illness which required hospitalization and/or expensive surgery, all of the bills would be paid by Medi-Care (the other Government Entitlement
Program). Is it morally right for the government to ask you to pay all of the bills yourself, if your family member has a DIFFERENT kind of illness like Alzheimer's, Dementia, Stroke, etc., which require care in
a Skilled Nursing Facility instead of a hospital? YOU HAVE PAID INTO BOTH OF THESE ENTITLEMENT PROGRAMS WITH YOUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS FOR MOST OF YOUR LIFE. This is a financial and legal issue - nothing
else.
I AM STILL FINANCIALLY ABLE TO PAY THE NURSING HOME BILLS, SHOULD I APPLY FOR MEDI-CAL NOW?
85% of nursing home
residents are on Medi-Cal. However, only 17% of them started out that way. THERE ARE LAWS THAT ALLOW YOU TO HOLD ONTO MOST OF YOUR SAVINGS AND NOT GO BROKE - MOST PEOPLE CHOOSE TO LEARN ABOUT THIS OPTION AND
UTILIZE IT.
WILL THE LEVEL OF CARE GO DOWN BY SWITCHING TO MEDI-CAL PAYMENT?
No. There are strict laws that prohibit
treating patients differently based on their method of payment. Also, Care Givers at the nursing home do not have access to billing records and are not concerned with who pays the bill.
WILL MEDI-CAL MAKE US REPAY THEM FOR BENEFITS PROVIDED?
Not if you take proper Legal Steps to prevent Medi-Cal Recovery from being able to be reimbursed from the Estate of the Medi-Cal recipient after death. This often involves changes to a Living Trust
or other legal documents being prepared AFTER we help you apply for Medi-Cal. We make referrals to experienced attorneys.
HOW DO I KNOW IF WE CAN QUALIFY FOR MEDI-CAL BENEFITS?
It is not HOW MUCH you have but WHERE it is located that determines Medi-Cal eligibility. If you are working with experienced Medi-Cal advisors, we will be able to tell you whether your assets fall
into the proper categories. We will also advise whether or not it involves relocating any of your "Non-Exempt" Assets to the "Exempt" Assets categories in order for you to qualify. We will
advise you on all of your Legal Options so that you can decide on the correct course of action for your family situation.
WHAT IF MY
ACCOUNTANT, LAWYER, BANKER, BROKER OR FINANCIAL PLANNER IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH MEDI-CAL PLANNING OR ADVISES ME AGAINST IT?
Stop listening to people who know just enough to be dangerous! We are quite
sure you would not think about asking your dentist for advice about hip surgery, or see a chiropractor to treat a brain tumor. Medi-Cal planning is a highly specialized field. There is a great deal of
MISinformation circulated by the UNinformed and by those who profit from keeping you ignorant of the facts.
