MEDI-CAL Benefits and Planning

Let Keyes Law Group, PC help you with your Medi-Cal (California’s version of the federal Medicaid program) planning. Our attorney can help you plan for long-term medical care. The Medi-Cal planning process bears some similarity to general estate planning but requires a great deal of care and skill as Medi-Cal rules for eligibility and recovery are very strict.

QUALIFYING FOR MEDI-CAL BENEFITS

Medi-Cal’s long-term care program may pay for the cost of care in an approved skilled nursing home or in-home caregiving for a qualified Medi-Cal applicant. However, not all elder care companies accept Medi-Cal benefits as payment.

Strict eligibility rules limit the amount of assets a Medi-Cal recipient can own. A recipient’s monthly income can limit the benefits available. Any income above a certain threshold is a ‘share of cost’, similar to an insurance co-pay. A Medi-Cal recipient must pay the monthly share of cost payment for health care before Medi-Cal will pay any benefits.

doctor writing a prescription while looking at his laptop

WE CAN HELP AVOID MEDI-CAL RECOVERY CLAIMS.

After you pass away, California may assert a recovery claim against your assets. Under this claim, California would seek repayment for the Medi-Cal benefits they provided during life. A recovery claim can be made in limited circumstances. A certified estate planning attorney can help you avoid such claims, contact us today to learn more.

USING MEDI-CAL WHILE PRESERVING ASSETS FOR MY HEIRS

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Medi-Cal in California is changing the rules for Medi-Cal eligibility.

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Used to be that you could not have more than $2,000 of non-exempt assets.

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You can have an unlimited amount of exempt assets, a home, a car,

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401k that’s paying distributions to you, a small life insurance policy,

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a burial plot, personal property. Those are all exempt.

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But the things that are not exempt is anything else. So, a second car,

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money in the bank.

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I’ve even seen a very expensive musical instrument be seen as non-exempt assets.

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Medi-Cal used to say in California that you can only have $2,000 of non-exempt

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assets in qualifying. The rule now is you can have $130,000.

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The rule in the future will be very different.

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How do you make sure that you can qualify with changing rules and changing

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circumstances?

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The most important thing is that you have to have the correct legal documents to

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allow your family members to change the nature of your assets.

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They have to be able to change non-exempt assets into exempt.

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They have to be able to give money away if that’s appropriate.

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They have to be able to spend money in certain areas.

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The most important thing for Medi-Cal planning is to be able to financially

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qualify and avoid Medi-Cal recovery in the future,

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which is basically repaying Medi-Cal for the loan that they gave to you when

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they paid your medical bills. We have to

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have the authority to do that. With changing environments and changing

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rules, the most important thing is to give your family flexibility,

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but most importantly, give them authority.

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So we need to have the legal documents in place that will allow your family

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members to qualify you and avoid a recovery action later.

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That’s the most important thing now,

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especially since things are changing so quickly in California.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Mr. Keyes and his staff are kind, understanding, and patient with clients who speak English as a second language. That meant a great deal to me!! -- SE

"I have had the pleasure of working with the Keyes Law Group these past months. To date, Mr. Keyes has been a great asset to our family; helping to plan a trust and the appropriate tax strategies for us and the next generation. What has worked very well for my wife and I is the time Mr. Keyes has devoted to not only hearing our financial planning concerns, but to also take the necessary time to explain and offer options for us to consider. We have worked with tax attorneys and financial consultants over the years. For us, a successful relationship is one of the key factors that we strive for. Working with the Keyes Law Group has been a very good fit for us as we work to get our financial affairs in order." -- RY

"I can’t say enough great things about Keyes Law Group! They are thorough, caring, and extremely efficient! I send everyone I know to them for Estate Planning! They took such great care of my family and they have earned my business forever! Look no further than Keyes Law Group if you want a seamless process and to cover all bases for your estate! They aren’t just Estate Attorneys; they are family!" -SL

"The patience with helping us achieve our goal and the patience in breaking down the legalese into simple language that we could understand was very beneficial. We felt we were very well taken care of." -GR

"We truly appreciate your thoughts, ideas and time. I very much value your expertise and look forward to more dialogue about best ways to move forward, build healthier relationships with our children and their children and to pass on our values to the degree we are able." -R.Y.

"I was able to have a honest dialog with such an understanding, compassionate, and caring human being. Thank you." -Y.H.

"I've had the opportunity to work with Elijah for several years now. I started during a challenging situation with my mother and he was terrific. I'd say he's very responsive, reliable and exceptionally fair. Also very empathetic. It's refreshing to engage with him and feel that I'm being well taken care of and my needs are being met. His staff is also lovely and overall super accommodating." -I.S.

"It is very important to research and choose wisely when looking for an estate planning attorney. Did you know that the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization has a unique recognition for attorneys who go beyond the regular requirements to practice Estate Planning? Elijah Keyes has this designation; Certified Estate Planning Specialist. He is extremely well versed with this specific area of law and is a strong advocate for his clients in estate planning, including establishing living trusts, wealth planning and family transfers, dynasty trusts, conservatorships, special needs trusts, elder law medi-cal benefits and planning, trust administration and probate. Thank you Elijah, for being a trusted resource for us and for our clients!" -M.H.

"Keyes Law Group helped our family through a very difficult time with estate planning. He's honest, transparent and genuinely cares about his clients. His own personal experiences have shaped his approach in working with people - especially older folks who might be more mistrusting. He can finesse difficult conversations with ease and for that, I'm forever grateful. 100% recommend!" -Y.V.