The goal is to preserve as many assets as possible and provide the maximum income for the spouse.
Crisis Medicaid Planning, What to do When You Need a Nursing Home Now
Medicaid is a needs based program. This means that people with excessive assets or income cannot qualify for Medicaid. For many, this will be the only government program that they will ever seek. (These are general rules in Oklahoma).
What Assets Count and Don’t Count?
Non-Countable Resources:
These are things that you can own without becoming unqualified for Medicaid. Generally these are:
• Your home
• One car
• Household belongings
• Prepaid burial plans
• Family burial plots
• Term life insurance
• Whole life insurance with face & cash value below $1,500.
• Retirement accounts in payment status
Countable Resources:
Almost everything else is considered a resource that Medicaid look at to determine whether or not you qualify. This can include:
• Cash / Money Market Accounts / CDs
• Stocks / Mutual Funds / Bond Funds
• Nonresidential land
• 2nd or more cars
• Cash value in life insurance policies
• Businesses
• Income generating properties
Things you cannot have & qualify
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Life insurance with cash value over $1500
Institutionalized individual with
More than $2,000 in countable assets or
Income greater than $4450
A married couple with excessive assets (those with more than $25,000 in countable resources need a plan)
Crisis Planning can solve many of the issues that would prevent an individual from receiving benefits.
For example, it may be possible to shift assets and income from the institutionalized spouse to the well spouse.
Life insurance policies may be converted to a living benefit or liquidated.
It is possible to “Spend Down” countable assets so that they do not count. Spending down may include:
• Repairs or improvements to the home
• Upgrading vehicle
• Purchasing Prepaid Burial Policies
• Paying off debts or taxes
• Paying for services
• Purchasing Medicaid Qualifying Annuities
• Making Medicaid Qualifying Loans
What if Medicaid Has Turned You Down? Has Medicaid Imposed a Penalty Period?
It may be possible to correct the issues and reapply.
For those seeking services in Oklahoma, download and complete this Questionnaire:
