Medicaid planning is based on formulating a legal strategy that allows you qualify for Medicaid and maintain some of your hard earned assets. There are a variety of strategies that may work for you. In the Income Test section, I outlined how a QIT may reduce the income and allow an individual to qualify. Certain assets are not counted in the asset test. You should consult with an elder law attorney instead of trying to formulate your own plan. Medicaid planning is a complex confusing area. The passage of the Debt Reduction Act of 2005 has reduced the allowable planning options.  If you have made plans in the last few years, you should review these with an attorney to make sure they are still valid.

Even with the 2005 changes, there are still a variety of techniques that can be used. These should not be attempted without the guidance of an Elder law attorney. The Federal government has now made this area of the law so complicated that it is well beyond the understanding of most social workers and other applied health professionals. Additionally, every family's situation is unique and requires an individual assessment. What might work for you will not work for others. See the Selecting an Attorney section of this book for finding an elder law attorney near you. Visit www.elderlawanswers.com for a good discussion of Medicaid. However, please keep in mind that these discussions are not state specific and may not work in Florida.


If you are a concerned relative or friend of an elderly person and need help with Estate Planning, Elder Law, or Medicaid and are in the Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach or in the areas around Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, and Clay counties, we'd like to hear from you.

Contact us online or call us at 904-355-8888 TO SET UP A FREE CONSULTATION.

Contact us online or call us at 904-355-8888 also to learn more about Elder Law and receive our Free North Florida Nursing Home Guide.