The cost of long-term care continues to increase, making such services difficult to afford for most individuals, and inaccessible for many. The Medicaid program provides coverage for long-term care services for individuals who are unable to afford this care. Some individuals, with assistance from financial planners and attorneys, have developed methods of arranging assets in such a way that they are preserved for the individual and/or family members, but are not countable when Medicaid eligibility is determined. Various techniques are used to artificially impoverish Medicaid applicants, including gifting of assets to family members, investing assets in financial instruments that are inaccessible, and executing financial transactions for which fair market value is not actually received. The DRA includes several provisions designed to discourage the use of such "Medicaid planning" techniques and to impose penalties on transactions which are intended to protect wealth while enabling access to public benefits. For more information on the DRA provisions related to transfer of assets, see the information below.
Page Last Modified: 11/25/2008 12:12:28 PM
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