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Course Details

Course Information
  • smart_display Format

    On-Demand

  • signal_cellular_alt Difficulty Level

    Intermediate

  • work Practice Area

    Family Law

Date & Time
  • event Date

    Wednesday, February 14, 2024

  • schedule Time

    1:00 p.m. ET./10:00 a.m. PT

  • timer Program Length

    90 minutes

Credit Information

  • This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.

$197.00
CLE
ALL

This CLE course will provide counsel with an in-depth analysis of available techniques for protecting assets from Medicaid spend down. The panelist will highlight strategies for spend down, gifting for Medicaid purposes, shielding assets from Medicaid calculations with Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts (MAPTs), life estates, annuities, and other mechanisms to maintain Medicaid eligibility and protect assets.

Faculty

Kyla G. Kelim
Attorney
Aging in Alabama

Ms. Kelim focuses her practice on proactive planning involving those in need concerning Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. She is a nationally recognized speaker on nursing home Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security disability matters. She launched Aging in Alabama to help address the crisis in health care coverage facing seniors and their caregivers.

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Description

The spend down of assets for Medicaid qualification causes much confusion. Practitioners advising the senior population must understand medical criteria, qualification standards for Medicaid, how assets are classified, differences between individuals and married couples, and the appeal process. Furthermore, certain circumstances may make spend down unattractive for those who have accumulated wealth that they want to protect from Medicaid spend down.

The spend down or disposal of assets to qualify for Medicaid is the preferred method for most clients requiring assistance with long-term care. However, for those who are over the income limits, other options must be implemented since income cannot be spent down. The same consideration must be given for those who have accumulated a certain level of wealth or assets that they would not want to be subject to a spend down or disposal.

Asset protection strategy implementation requires a working knowledge of how to determine the spend down and under what circumstances other options would better serve a client. Rules for married couples are particularly complex. Some spend down strategies that work well for a married couple may not work for a single person, and vice versa. Counsel with elderly clients must thoroughly understand how funds can be spent to avoid Medicaid disqualification and also consider other options such as gifting for Medicaid purposes, utilizing MAPTs, life estates, annuities, and other methods.

Listen as Kyla G. Kelim, Attorney at Aging in Alabama, discusses strategies for spend down, gifting for Medicaid purposes, shielding assets from Medicaid calculations, and mechanisms to maintain Medicaid eligibility and protect assets.

Outline

  1. Qualifying for Medicaid
  2. Spend down rules and requirements
  3. Case study: applying spend down techniques to individual applicants
  4. Case study: applying spend down techniques to married couples
  5. Methods for protecting assets from Medicaid spend down
    • Gifting
    • MAPTs
    • Life estates
    • Annuities
  6. Common mistakes and pitfalls to avoid

Benefits

The panelist will review these and other key issues:

  • Rules and limitations of asset spend down for Medicaid
  • Application of spend down techniques to individual applicants
  • Determining when and how to use gifting, trusts, life estates, and annuities for Medicaid purposes
  • Overcoming problems with spend down techniques for married couples
  • Best practices in avoiding Medicaid disqualification