The Willie Elder Law Firm prepares Austin Seniors for long-term care. Call (512) 478-0834 – EMAIL bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.
One of the things that concerns people most about nursing home care in Austin,Texas is how to pay for that care. There are basically four ways that you can pay the cost of a nursing home:
1. Long Term Care Insurance – If you are fortunate enough to have this type of coverage, it may go a long way toward paying the cost of the nursing home. Unfortunately, long term care insurance has only started to become popular in the last few years and most people facing a nursing home stay do not have this coverage.
2. Pay with Your Own Funds – This is the method many people are required to use at first. Quite simply, it means paying for the cost of a nursing home out of your own pocket. Unfortunately, with nursing home bills averaging between $4,000 and $4,500 per month in our area, few people can afford a long term stay in a nursing home.
3. Medicare – This is the national health insurance program primarily for people 65 years of age and older, certain younger disabled people, and people with kidney failure. Medicare provides short term assistance with nursing home costs, but only if you meet the strict qualification rules.
4. Medicaid – This is a federal and state funded and state administered medical benefit program which can pay for the cost of the nursing home if certain asset and income tests are met. Since the first two methods of private pay (i.e. using your own funds) and long term care insurance are self-explanatory, our discussion will concentrate on Medicare and Medicaid.
Visit us tomorrow when we open discussions about Medicaid and Medicare in Texas. Please leave your comment below and tell us you experience of paying for nursing home care in Austin, Texas.
The Willie Elder Law Firm prepares Austin Seniors for long-term care. Call (512) 478-0834 – EMAIL bwillie@WillieElderLaw.com.
my mother has a few bonds, an auto and home valued at 100,000 owned in full. she is widowed. currenty on medicare. due to preexisting health issues, she has not been able to obtain long term care insurance. what can we do to protect her assets in the event that she needs long term care assistance from medicaid.
By: terri livingood on August 7, 2008
at 7:47 pm
Terri,
Thank you for your question -
The answer depends on her current age, health and whether she would need nursing home care in the near future. There are many things that can be done to protect assets, but planning early is always the key.
Once a person is in a nursing home, it becomes a bit more difficult to plan, although even then there are strategies that can be used. If she is a widow of a wartime veteran, she may be eligible for a Widows Pension from the VA that can be used to keep her home longer and help pay for the cost of at home care.
I would suggest contacting me to discuss your specific situation further, since I would need more facts to give you a better answer.
Warmly,
Brian Willie
Willie Elder Law
3755 Capital of Texas Hwy., Suite 295
Austin, TX 78704
512-478-0834
By: willielaw on August 12, 2008
at 8:47 am
Father in law, 84 in home, the bank owns, daughter takes care of him, but can not anymore emotinally or physically. Father is reverting back to a a child, does not have all his faculties. Does not qualify for Medcaid, but only lives on social securtiy up to $1600.00 a month. But not enough to pay for in house care. He needs to be in a nursing home with more attention. Suffers also from mental illness and has in his past. Is very depressed and lonely. What can we do for him. He does have Medicare and has a doctor that comes to his home. Any Information I can give to my husband his son and my sister in law would be apprecatiated.
By: Jo Ann Dossett on August 23, 2008
at 11:44 am
Dear Jo Ann,
You recently posted the following comment on my blog:
“Father in law, 84 in home, the bank owns, daughter takes care of him, but can not anymore emotinally or physically. Father is reverting back to a a child, does not have all his faculties. Does not qualify for Medcaid, but only lives on social securtiy up to $1600.00 a month. But not enough to pay for in house care. He needs to be in a nursing home with more attention. Suffers also from mental illness and has in his past. Is very depressed and lonely. What can we do for him. He does have Medicare and has a doctor that comes to his home. Any Information I can give to my husband his son and my sister in law would be apprecatiated.”
I’m more than happy to respond. Has he already tried to qualify for medicaid and if so, why was he denied? His income is under the allowed cap for medicaid qualification, so I suspect that he has too many assets. In that case, planning would need to be done to determine which strategies can be used to quickly get him qualified. Was he a wartime veteran by any chance? If so, he may qualify for a special monthly pension that can be used to get him better care. I recommend that you call me at my office to discuss how we can help him get qualified. I can be reached at 512-478-0834. Thanks again for your comment.
Warmly,
Brian Willie
Law Office of Willie & Dasher
3755 Capital of Texas Hwy., Suite 295
Austin, TX 78704
512-478-0834
http://www.williedasherlaw.com
By: willielaw on August 28, 2008
at 10:47 am