Top Elder Law And Estate Planning Attorney Michael Huguelet Debunks Medicaid Myths – Orland Park, IL

Leading Estate Planning Lawyer Michael T. Huguelet and founder of the Orland Park Law Office of Michael T. Huguelet, P.C., outlines the main misconceptions surrounding Medicaid. For more information please visit https://www.hugueletlaw.com

Orland Park, IL, United States – February 12, 2022 /MM-REB/ —

Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney Michael T. Huguelet has revealed people’s main misconceptions around Medicaid.

For more information please visit https://www.hugueletlaw.com

In a recent interview, the founder of the Orland Park, IL, Law Office of Michael T. Huguelet, P.C. commented: “One of the best things you can do when planning for elderly care is to have your financial ducks lined up when it comes to Medicaid.

“The later you’re planning, the more limited options available to you. However, many hold many misconceptions about Medicaid, which often hinder the planning process.”

One big misunderstanding is confusing Medicaid with Medicare, he revealed.
Medicaid is used to pay for long-term care in nursing homes, but Medicare is short-term insurance that provides only limited coverage for care in a nursing home.

For example, if a patient stays in hospital for at least three days, Medicare covers all nursing home costs for the first 20 days and 80% of all costs until day 100.”

This is a vital difference to understand, considering that, on average, in the U.S. a private room in a nursing home costs $110,380 annually and $89,292 per year in a semi-private room, according to Genworth’s Cost of Care Survey.

Another myth is who can qualify for Medicaid, as most people wrongly assume they must be impoverished to apply. He said: “To be eligible for Medicaid in Illinois, you must only have $2,000 in countable assets, and a non-applicant spouse can keep up $109,560 of countable assets.

“However, there are workarounds such as exempt and non-countable assets. Consult with an estate planning attorney to learn more about how you can ‘spend down’ some assets to meet this Medicaid qualification.”

Huguelet was quick to add that Medicaid sets the limit on monthly income to only $1,073 for individuals and $1,452 for a couple.

“Again, similar to working around the limit for assets, applicants can still qualify for Medicaid even if they make more than the set income limit,” he said. For instance, you might be able to transfer a portion of this income to a spouse to meet or fall under the limit.

Another misconception is that the time is never right to plan for Medicaid. “There’s never a bad time to begin Medicaid planning,” he asserted. “You can start even if you or your loved one are years away from needing long-term out-of-home care. Or you can begin the planning process after a loved one is already in a nursing home facility.”

Contact Info:
Name: Michael T. Huguelet
Email: Send Email
Organization: Law Office of Michael T. Huguelet, PC
Address: 10723 W. 159th St. Orland Park, IL 60467
Phone: (708) 852-0733
Website: https://www.hugueletlaw.com

Source: MM-REB

Release ID: 89063379