Massachusetts MassHealth Planning Attorney
Attorney John A. Gianino of the Center for Elder Law & Estate Planning at Higgins & Gianino, P.A. can advise you of ways to shelter the assets you don't want to lose if you face an extended nursing home (skilled nursing facility) stay.
When it comes to staying in a skilled nursing facility (SNF), you are probably unsure of a few things. How long you will likely be at the SNF? How you will pay for it?
Here are some answers and some help.
- Medicare will pay up to 100 days but no more than that amount
- Medicare can stop paying sooner than 100 days if you don't meet clinical eligibility criteria
- After 100 days or sooner if you do not meet clinical criteria, you will then need to have a payment mechanism
After these first 100 days or sooner, you will need to make a decision about how you will pay for this extended stay. There are three basic options:
- Long term care insurance. This will work only if you have previously paid for and have a policy in place. Most people do not have this.
- Private payment. IN the Greater Boston area, this can include a monthly rate of $9,000 to 12,000 per month. This is too expensive for most people.
- Medicaid, which in Massachusetts is called MassHealth. If you are eligible, MassHealth may pay up to 99.9% of the cost of your SNF stay after the first 100 days or sooner. A lawyer skilled in Medicare/MassHealth/Medicaid planning can help make this process easier and can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars through proper and knowledgeable planning.
Learn more about MassHealth eligibility and competency and capacity.
What is Your Next Step?
Call Attorney John A. Gianino at Higgins & Gianino, P.A. at 888-784-0864 or contact us online. We offer a free consultation and have 6 Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts locations to serve you.
