Aid & Attendance Benefits for Ohio Veterans
We all know that nursing homes cost a lot of money. Despite this knowledge, very few of us have done anything to prepare for the possibility that we might one day need nursing home care. If we give it any thought, we just decide to figure out how to pay for it if the time comes. While this approach is understandable and very common, there are other alternatives. If you want to be able to pay for the long-term care you or your spouse needs and protect your assets from spend downs, the time to start planning is now.
Our Team Will Help You Understand Your Options
Here are two important facts you should be aware of, regardless of your age:
- Ohio nursing homes cost an average of $6,000 a month.
- Medicare does not cover the cost of a nursing home beyond the first 100 days.
Given this information, it is vital that you make a plan for how you will pay for the care you or your spouse may need one day. This is particularly important if one of you has been diagnosed with a debilitating condition such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, or Parkinson’s. If you are not confident that your assets and income will be enough to pay for quality nursing home care, there are steps you can take now to make sure you will qualify for the appropriate government assistance program to help you with these costs while preserving property and assets for your children and grandchildren.
Medicaid Is an Option for Many Ohio Seniors
Medicaid is a need-based program, meaning that you must have limited assets and income to qualify. For many people, this means you won’t qualify for Medicaid until you have already spent most of your life savings on the nursing home. At that point, Medicaid will kick in and pay the nursing home bills, in addition to hospital bills, prescriptions, in-home care, and personal care services. However, when you plan ahead for the possibility of needing a nursing home, you can take steps to protect certain assets from being “counted” by Medicaid. With the help of our Elder Law attorney, you might be able to take advantage of one of the following:
Medicaid Asset Protection Trust
Assets that are placed in this type of trust more than five years before needing a nursing home will not have to be put towards the cost of care.
Qualified Income Trust
If your retirement income is too high to qualify for Medicaid but not high enough to pay for a nursing home, you can hold the income in a QIT. Funds from this trust can only be used for certain purposes.
You want to be well cared for if you become incapacitated, but you also want to leave a legacy for your family. Medicaid planning might be one way to accomplish both of these goals.
Military Veterans May Have Another Option
One of the hardest things to know about Veterans Benefits is that there are so many things you do not know. There are programs available to support Veterans in a variety of situations, and it can be difficult to determine which you qualify for. Accordingly, the best approach is to gather up all of your paperwork—including service records and discharge forms—and discuss the situation with an attorney experienced in this area. As with Medicaid, it is essential that you have skilled legal counsel who has been through this arduous government process numerous times.
If you are a wartime Veteran, need nursing home care, and have limited income, you might qualify for VA Aid & Attendance benefits to pay for your nursing home. Your likelihood of success in being approved for these valuable benefits is greatly enhanced with the skillful guidance and assistance of an attorney who has dealt with the Veterans Administration. The team at Jarvis Law Office has this type of experience and can use it to resolve administrative issues, get answers, and advocate for your rights and benefits.
Don’t Wait to Contact Our Medicaid and VA Benefits Lawyer
Whether you are planning ahead for yourself or are in a crisis situation with an elderly parent, Jarvis Law Office can help. We have years of experience navigating difficult government bureaucracy, and we can help you get the benefits you have earned to pay for critical nursing home care. We offer a flat-rate fee structure and are always upfront about what our services will cost. You can’t afford NOT to contact us!
