The Southwest Voice

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If you or a loved one is in a nursing home, paying the monthly cost can be a major financial burden. Some nursing homes can cost $500 a day! But there may be a perfectly legal way to get financial help before all family assets are gone.

The state of California has a program called Medi-Cal. It is supported by federal and state taxes. If you qualify, Medi-Cal will pay all or part of nursing home care. The Medi-Cal program looks at assets and income. Some assets can disqualify you, but other assets are “invisible” and can’t disqualify you. There are many types of invisible assets. For example, the family home you intend to return to, household goods, personal effects, a term life insurance policy, a burial plot, business property used as a means of self-support and usually one motor vehicle. There are many more invisible assets. There is a process available to allow you to use up certain disqualifying assets or to convert disqualifying assets into invisible assets in order to qualify.

The Medi-Cal program also looks at income. If you qualify, you are married, and your income is low enough, all nursing home costs may be paid by Medi-Cal. If you qualify and your income isn’t low enough for Medi-Cal to cover all nursing home costs, you will pay only a share of the cost and Medi-Cal will pay the rest.

If you would like the free pamphlet “Planning for Long Term Care” by Gary M. Fachin, call 328-0363 and leave your name and address.

Note that the information presented here is made available for educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide specific legal advice. This article was written in July, 2008. The law is subject to change.

This article cannot substitute for competent legal advice about your specific situation from a licensed professional attorney.