With people living longer than in generations gone by, many Arizonans, including those who have chosen to retire to this state, will need to start planning for the cost of staying in a nursing home or other retirement facility.
Most people will need some extra help with living as they get older and start to deal with the natural consequences of aging. Unfortunately, the cost of this care is quite extensive, costing tens of thousands of dollars every year.
A person who does not have means to pay for this care may wind up draining their savings in order to pay the cost of their care. The sad thing is that this will often mean the person can leave nothing to their loved ones.
While some may be able to purchase long term care insurance, that is, private insurance which will pay for a nursing home, many others may find it unaffordable. Sometimes, the best bet is for a person to make sure he will qualify for Medicaid when he will need nursing home care.
Medicaid is a government program which provides health care to people with limited income and assets. In order to qualify for the program, therefore, someone in need of it will have to show that she does not have too many assets; otherwise, she will first need to use funds from those assets to pay for a nursing home.
There are several perfectly legal tactics a Tucson resident can use, which are collectively referred to as Medicaid planning, to pass down or protect their property and still qualify for Medicaid. However, this process takes a lot of time and careful planning.
Not doing the process correctly can leave a person without either property or access to affordable care, so it is important that those wanting to engage in Medicaid planning know the right steps to take.