It's not something you want to think about right now, but the reality is that many elderly people eventually require long-term or nursing home care. How many? Nearly one in two women and one in four men find themselves in nursing homes at some point in their lives. Unfortunately, nursing home costs are already very high, averaging anywhere between $5,000 and $9,000 per month, depending on what part of California you live in and the level of care required. These costs are also expected to rise in the future. To make matters worse, Medicare will not pay for long-term care. Little wonder, then, that two out of three families run out of money within the first year of a prolonged nursing home stay.

Are you ready to hear some good news? At Wachbrit Braverman PC, we can help you qualify for assistance from Medi-Cal, without  spending down all your income or giving up most of your assets. We can show you a number of ways to prepare in advance for a nursing home stay, or cope with a Medi-Cal crisis situation.

Proactive Medi-Cal Planning

Proactive Medi-Cal planning is for people who are currently healthy but want to make sure that if the do become incapacitated at some time in the future, they will have a plan in place to protect their life savings. We have designed numerous estate plans that allow individuals and families to protect their assets and effectively manage their personal and financial affairs in the event of incapacity. It is extremely important that a firm with a focus on estate planning and elder law, such as Wachbrit Braverman PC, prepares your plan. A well-designed plan not only ensures you will be adequately cared for should you become incapacitated, but also provides you with greater peace of mind.

A Medi-Cal Crisis

We define a Medi-Cal crisis as a situation where a person has already been admitted to a nursing home, or must be placed in one very soon, and has been informed that they have too many assets to qualify for assistance from Medi-Cal to cover the cost. It is very important for you to know that information with regard to Medi-Cal eligibility provided by nursing home intake staff, social workers and other well-meaning professionals is quite often inaccurate. While these professionals may care deeply about your well-being, they simply do not have a mastery of the ever-changing laws surrounding Medi-Cal benefits.

If you or someone you love is faced with a Medi-Cal crisis, please contact us as soon as possible to learn how we may be able to help. We can show you a number of ways to get assistance from Medi-Cal and protect your life savings. And even if you have been denied benefits in the past, we may be able to help you win an appeal.

A Special Letter From Diedre

When it's time to consider long-term care for yourself or a loved one, you face a confusing array of rules about who will pay for the care and what you can and can't do with your assets.

Ensuring that you can transfer or pass on as many of your assets as possible without losing eligibility for programs that pay for long-term care is the goal of Medi-Cal Planning.

In California, planning is particularly urgent because of the coming adoption of new, much harsher rules on the transfer of assets. The federal Deficit Reduction Act was passed by Congress several years ago but it only became law in California in 2009. However, because the regulations for application of the Deficit Reduction Act's rules have not been adopted, the law is not yet being enforced in California.

No one knows exactly when the Department of Healthcare Services will adopt regulations under the Deficit Reduction Act but most attorneys expect it will be soon. The good news is that the Department of Healthcare Services has said that the regulations will not be applied retroactively. This means that if you act now, you can transfer far more assets and still qualify for Medi-Cal's long-term care program.

We are experienced at creating and implementing asset preservation programs that allow you to pass on not only your family home but substantial other assets to your loved ones. Please call soon for your free consultation.