Most Americans typically live to be 79 years or older, but they rarely have the resources needed to fund long-term care. If you are starting to plan for long-term care for yourself or your loved one, you may be looking into applying for Medicaid. To guide you through the process, our Metro West Boston elder care attorneys explain the Medicaid application process.

Medicaid Overview

Medicaid is a federal and state program for low-income families that provides coverage for medical and long-term care. Medicaid often covers the following:

• ​​Medical, support, and prescription costs,

• Long-term nursing home care,

• Community-based alternatives to nursing homes,

• Nursing services,

• Personal assistance services,

• Adaptive aids,

• Assisted living,

• And more.

How to Apply for Medicaid

The first step to applying for Medicaid is to determine if you are eligible. In general, your eligibility will depend on your age, income level, number of dependents, and if you are pregnant or have a disability. To determine if you are eligible, you can fill out this form on healthcare.gov to see your eligibility results.

If you do qualify for Medicaid, you can apply using one of two methods: contact the Massachusetts Medicaid agency or fill out an application through the Health Insurance Marketplace.

Planning for Long-Term Care

There are many moving parts when it comes to Medicaid and long-term elder care. Did you know that Medicaid has a five-year look-back period? This means that they will look at your finances to determine if you are eligible for medical coverage. This means that if you wanted to transfer funds to your children within those five years, Medicaid would consider that a red flag. For such reasons, it is vital that you plan ahead, create trusts, and develop an estate plan that will benefit you when you need long-term care.

Need help planning? Contact Marsden Law P.C. today at (800) 828-7854 to schedule a consultation!