Clearwater Medicaid Attorney

Florida Medicaid is a partnership between the state of Florida and the federal government that provides healthcare assistance to qualifying individuals. When you are no longer working and earning an income, planning for Medicaid can be an important part of your future. At the law office of William Rambaum, P.A., our Clearwater Medicaid attorney knows that you probably have a lot of questions about Medicaid and Medicaid eligibility. Over the past three and a half decades, we have competently assisted people like you in protecting their right to coverage and understanding Medicaid laws. If you have questions, please contact us today to schedule a consultation with our law firm now.

Medicaid Eligibility in Florida

In order to qualify for Medicaid in Florida as an aging person, you must meet certain criteria. These criteria include:

• Be at least 65 years of age; or
• Have a disability or a member in your household with a disability; or
• Be blind; and
• Be in need of insurance/healthcare assistance; and
• Be considered low income.

As a note, you may also qualify for Medicaid if you are pregnant and low income, or caring for a dependent child and are low income, although these are not common situations for elderly persons.

According to Benefits.gov, you can only qualify for Medicaid if your annual household income before taxes is:

• $15,800 for a family of one (just you); or
• $21,307 for a family of two.

There are also asset limitations in order to qualify for Medicaid for long-term care.

Florida Medicaid and the Lookback Period

If you have too many assets or income, you cannot qualify for Medicaid or Medicaid benefits for long-term care. In order to preserve the right to benefits, many elderly persons will gift money to others, sell assets, or transfer assets to others. However, doing so must be done strategically; the state maintains a five-year lookback period. This means that when you apply for Medicaid for long-term care, the state will look back on your finances over the past five years to determine whether or not you made any non-exempt transfers or financial gifts. If you did, you may assessed a penalty.

Planning for Medicaid in the State of Florida

The laws surrounding Medicaid and Medicaid for long-term care can be very confusing. The law offices of William Rambaum, P.A. understands that you may have no idea whether or not you qualify, how to apply, or whether or not you will be penalized for transferring or gifting assets.

Our law office is here not just to help you understand the laws and regulations surrounding Medicaid, but also to help you plan for your estate accordingly without jeopardizing your right to benefits.

Don’t wait to plan for your future – setting up an estate plan now and getting your affairs in order brings peace of mind. Contact us today at 727-781-5357 to set up a meeting with a Clearwater medicaid attorney.