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Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC
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Pre-Planning Medicaid Attorneys in Berks County, PA

People who need the assistance of Medicaid—especially the elderly who need nursing home care or other services for their senior years—will face issues of how much income or assets they can have and still qualify for Medicaid. The rules vary depending on whether you’re single, married with one spouse applying, or married with both spouses applying. Though the program sets limits on income and assets that can seem too restrictive, there are legitimate programs to qualify for while shielding what you’ve worked for and accumulated throughout your working life. 

If you or a loved one needs Medicaid assistance in or around Reading, Pennsylvania, contact the attorneys at Curran Estate and Elder Law, PLLC. We are knowledgeable and experienced in Medicaid rules and regulations and can help you plan for the day you may need senior care. We’re here to assist you through proper asset and income management strategies. 

Curran Estate and Elder Law, PLLC proudly serves clients throughout Pennsylvania, including Berks County and the neighboring counties of Schuylkill, Montgomery, Lancaster, Chester, and Lebanon.

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Qualifying for Medicaid 

Medicaid is a jointly operated federal and state program that provides health care and living assistance for low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It’s administered by both the federal and the state government where you live. If you are disabled and have a low income and few assets, qualifying can be fairly straightforward. For those who have worked until their elder years and may need the services of a nursing home or other assistance with living at home, qualifying may present a somewhat bigger challenge. 

In Pennsylvania, when it comes to elder assistance, the qualifying standards vary on your status—single, married but filing individually, or married and filing jointly. If you are single or married and applying singly, the income level is $2,523 a month from any source, including Social Security and other retirement funds. If you are married and need services for both spouses, the income limit doubles to $5,046. 

Any applicant, whether single or married, cannot have more than $2,000 in assets, though one’s home is exempted, as are household goods and furnishings, and one vehicle. A non-applicant spouse can have assets up to $137,400.  

The income and asset standards apply at any age when it comes to applying for Medicaid, but they come into sharper focus for those who have worked until retirement and may need the services of a nursing home or other assistance that they cannot otherwise afford. 

Medicaid Basics: The Look Back & the Look Ahead 

Medicaid is designed as “the payer of last resort,” so when it comes to qualifying, the plan’s administrators will look back over your previous five years of financial transactions. If they determine that you’re given away assets in order to qualify for Medicaid, they can deny your application until five years have passed since the last transfer. 

Though one’s home is generally exempted from the Medicaid asset threshold up to a certain equity limit, when the Medicaid recipient passes away, the government can come after the equity in their home to pay back what the program has provided in benefits.  

Therefore, during the five-year look-back period, you cannot gift your home to someone else unless the transfer is made to a spouse, a child under the age of 21, a child of any age who is blind or totally disabled, a sibling who has an equity interest in the home, or a child who resided in the home and provided assistance to you for two years so you could avoid needing nursing-home placement. 

In other words, if you know or sense that you’re going to need Medicaid assistance, you need to plan ahead. Reach out to a skilled estate planning attorney for guidance. 

Pre-Planning for Medicaid 

You can transfer certain assets within the five years prior to your needing the assistance of Medicaid, but that requires careful planning. To prevent the Medicaid program from using your assets to disqualify you, or later seizing your assets to repay for the services provided, you can place your assets in what is called a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT). However, the transfer into the trust must be made five years before applying for Medicaid. 

There are also ways to protect income from disqualifying you by creating a Qualified Income Trust, also known as a Miller Trust. Pooled Income Trusts are offered by nonprofit organizations and are similar to Miller Trusts. Money that goes into either of these trusts is not considered income for Medicaid qualification purposes. 

The most essential point is that you need to plan for every contingency in your life. If you retire and suddenly need living and health care assistance beyond what Medicare provides, or what you can afford, you may be forced to turn to Medicaid. When you do, you will come face to face with the realities of the asset and income thresholds established by the program.

medicaid pre planning

Medicaid Planning Attorneys Serving Reading, Pennsylvania

Elderly individuals who suddenly need Medicaid to pay for nursing home or in-home assistance are not the only ones who may need asset and income protection strategies. If you have a child who is blind or disabled and needs long-term care, you also will need to do some comprehensive asset and income protection planning. If you foresee the eventual need for Medicaid for you or a loved one in Pennsylvania, reach out to Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC for a consultation. We can help you move forward.

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Client Success Stories

The staff is always extremely pleasant and helpful. Rose Kennedy does a fabulous job of taking the time to explain everything, more than once if need be, and willing to answer any questions.
Lisa Care
Lisa Care
September 1, 2023.
They were very kind and helpful to my brother and me. They took the time to review our situation and offered us options. Highly recommend their services!!! Thanks. 😎
Kurt Manderbach
Kurt Manderbach
September 1, 2023.
This lawfirm is excellent. They are so knowledgeable and experienced in estate planning. Sarah at the front desk is responsive, welcoming and helpful. Rose Kennedy is a top notch attorney with a strong attention to detail, very knowledgeable in her field, great at presenting information in an easy to understand manner and very compassionate. We highly recommend Curran.
Leo and Lily
Leo and Lily
August 22, 2023.
When my father passed away in March 2022, I had never lost an immediate family member, and I was unprepared for the deluge of paperwork that followed. I also was not prepared for the way that grief would make simple things extra difficult. Luckily, my dad had set up a trust with Sean Curran’s guidance in 2016. It not only protected his assets, but it allowed us to work with Rose Kennedy and Angela Young for the estate administration. I truly do not know what we would have done without the kindness and guidance of Rose and Angela. I will never forget talking with Rose from the bathroom of my dad’s hospice room. It was far past office hours, but she was calmly determined to help me understand what steps I needed to take next. She even texted me after the call with detailed instructions in case I was unable to remember because of my emotional state. My gratitude for her compassion and patience continued to grow throughout the following year as she and Angela continuously went above and beyond to help us with every challenge that arose as we sold our dad’s house, filed inheritance taxes, and encountered numerous other tasks that I never could have figured out without their step-by-step guidance. I will always have a special place in my heart for the calmness that Rose and Angela brought me throughout the overwhelming and emotional process of losing a parent. Every person I’ve encountered at Curran Estate and Elder Law has been professional, helpful, and kind. I can’t imagine going through this process without their support and wisdom. Thank you!
Cindi Delinsky
Cindi Delinsky
July 29, 2023.
Curran Estate & Elder Law handled my fathers estate for me. They were incredibly helpful and answered all of my questions. I did very little, everything was completed by them. I would strongly suggest if your looking for an Attorney to handle your parents affairs, give Curran Estate & Elder Law a call!
KIM STRICKER
KIM STRICKER
July 26, 2023.
I would highly recommend Curran Estate Elder Care. They guided and helped with our estate planning, protection of assets, writing of our wills, power of attorney documentation and also care management for my spouse. They offer a great support system. Great people to work with.
Lil Myers
Lil Myers
July 20, 2023.
They are very efficient at helping their clients get the best and affordable help for families that need help. I would recommend them all around, especially for the elderly that cannot help themselves. they help me get poa of my mom when no one else would help. Hospital would say that she is not capable of having a POA at the time on hospice. Well, they wrong because my mother understood and signed forms thank you so very much Joyce and Tiffani
Tiffani Grendell
Tiffani Grendell
July 18, 2023.
Quite simply the best Elder Law in Berks. Professional, ethical and kind from start to finish. We had gotten our Will's and PoA's done with Curran a couple years ago, then when my father's health took a down turn, they were the obvious choice for managing the transition of his care, and then eventually with handling the administration of his will , probate and the dozens of other details that no one tells you about. I couldn't imagine having to do all of that on my own. Big thanks to the Rose, Susan, Angela and the whole team at Curran.
Adam Wentling
Adam Wentling
July 18, 2023.
As executor of estate, Curran has guided me step-by-step through the process in a professional and efficient manner. Their approach is friendly as they have patiently answered all my questions with clear explanations which make my duties simple and easy to carry out.
David & Alison Zezenski
David & Alison Zezenski
June 16, 2023.
My mother and I met with Rose Kennedy at Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC. Rose and her team were wonderful! Sarah greeted us promptly and escorted us to the conference room. She was very gracious. Rose demonstrated compassion, kindness, and understanding. She explained the documents clearly and answered all our questions. I highly recommend Rose and the team who responded quickly. They acted with professionalism and compassion. They have a heart. I had contacted other estate and elder firms in Berks County, and they did not even respond. Call Curran they will respond and help you.
Diana Vavreck
Diana Vavreck
May 25, 2023.
Curran Estate & Elder Law, PLLC

1212 Liggett Ave.
Reading, PA 19611

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