What is Medicaid?

Medicaid is a health care program instituted and partially funded by the federal government, but administered at the state level.  The Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS), is the division for the state of Arizona.  To qualify for Medicaid benefits, a person must meet certain requirements, foremost of which are financial and medical stipulations.

What Does Medicaid/ALTCS Provide?

For those who qualify, Medicaid offers a complete array of acute medical care services, institutional services, behavioral health services, home and community based services and case management services. In addition to those previously listed, persons who qualify for long term care can also receive financial aid for:

–         Nursing facilities
–         Hospice
–         Attendant care
–         Assisted living facilities
–         Adult day care health services
–         Home health services (such as nursing services, home health aide and therapy)
–         Home delivery meals

Qualification Requirements for Medicaid/ALTCS

Medicaid is generally reserved for those who are 65 or older, blind or otherwise disabled, and are in need of ongoing services at a nursing facility level of care.  You must also be a United States citizen or a lawful resident alien, a resident of the state of Arizona, be at significant risk for institutionalization, have little enough income and have few enough resources.  The income cap to qualify for Medicaid assistance is below $2,000 per month and less than $2,000 in assets.  While this is a very low cap, there are ways to protect assets and keep them from preventing you from being accepted into the program.  There are also ways to increase your chances of qualifying for Medicaid coverage.

With assisted living costs averaging over $6,000 a month, more and more people need the assistance that Medicaid provides.  Through estate planning, we can secure your assets and help you avoid having to spend down your funds in order to qualify for the help you need.

This blog should be used for informational purposes only.  It does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader and should not be construed as legal advice.  If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney in your community who can assess the specifics of your situation.

Morris Hall primarily focuses on estate planning and while we cannot directly help with long-term care, our documents will take these things into consideration, but we do not specifically plan in these areas. We’d be more than happy to refer you to an attorney we know who can take care of these types of needs.  If you need a referral, please call 888.222.1328.