Nursing homes can be very costly. Although most nursing homes provide a very high quality of care, that care is incredibly expensive and the cost of care can deplete a normal sized estate quickly. One way to lessen the effect of this cost is to apply for Medicaid benefits for the spouse who is in the nursing home. Medicaid has certain lower levels of assets that a married couple can have and still qualify for Medicaid benefits.

For 2008, the spouse who is not in the nursing home may keep $104,400.00 of assets plus the marital home and $2,610.00 of income per month. For many couples, this is enough protection. For others, there are additional things that can be done that are morally and legally appropriate for the situation. This is called Medicaid planning. Since the Medicaid laws are extremely complicated, our office advises clients to seek legal counsel who knows a lot about the Medicaid statutes and how they work in your County.