What Are the Criteria for Getting Medicaid for Nursing Home Care in Florida

The Need to Hire an Attorney

The fact that one is poor does not automatically grant one the Florida Medicaid eligibility. One has to understand the eligibility criteria and submit a foolproof application. If you are good in decoding the official jargon, you may proceed further and submit the application by yourself. But chances are that you may not be in a situation to do all this by yourself. Therefore, the best bet is to consult a good attorney in Florida. A good attorney can help you get Medicaid support.

It does not mean that you only need to walk into an attorney's office to satisfy the Florida Medicaid eligibility; far from it. There are several eligibility criteria and conditions. If a person has some chances of getting Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida, a good attorney can make it happen. Good attorneys see many things in the legal language that ordinary people fail to spot.

An Overview of Medicaid

Medicaid is a healthcare support scheme, which is jointly promoted by both the federal and the state governments. In some states, private partnerships are also roped in to get sufficient financial back-up. Different states have different names for the scheme. For example, in Florida, and many other states, it is known simply as Medicaid, while in California it is called Medi-Cal.

Eligibility Criteria

The program is intended mainly for old people who do not have sufficient funds to get quality healthcare. The eligibility criteria vary from state to state. The criteria for getting Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida focus on three aspects: health, income, and assets of the applicant.

Health

The health of the applicant is assessed by the doctors in the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. Their report determines whether a person will get Medicaid or not. If the person is quite ill - like not being able to do even the routine physical activities - he or she may become eligible even without the report from the doctors in the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. In addition, the applicant must be undergoing care in one of the approved nursing homes.

Income

The income criteria for getting Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida are clear. The monthly income of the applicant - including the pension, social security, and other benefits from the state - must be less than $1635. The income of the spouse is not generally considered in the calculation. However, if the spouse has been getting Medicaid or has applied for Medicaid, the income of the spouse should naturally be less than $1635.

Asset

The asset of the applicant should be worth less than $2000 and the asset of the spouse should be worth less than $89,280. There are a number of other clauses in the asset criteria for getting Medicaid for nursing home care in Florida. It is advisable to consult a good Florida attorney to know more about asset protection and Medicaid.

A complimentary download for you of two chapters of Attorney Frazier's book on Protecting Your Family's Assets In Florida, more in depth articles as well as a complimentary consultation for you by telephone or in person with Attorney Frazier is available now by going to www.EstateLegalPlanning.com.