Why You Should Use a Lawyer for Medicaid Planning

It is a fact that most seniors together with their families often shy away from using a lawyer in the planning of long-term care because of the cost.

However, the truth is that using a Medicaid planning attorney can help you save a lot of money in the long run. Besides that, the attorney will also ensure that your family gets the best medical care.

Unfortunately, sometimes we end up being influenced by what we hear from others without proof. You don’t have to rely on rumors when it comes to important matters concerning your health.

There are several advantages of using a lawyer for your Medicaid planning. Let us take a look at some of them.

 

1. There’s no conflict of interest

In most cases when a nursing home refers you to a non-listed lawyer to help in the preparation of Medicaid application, the person doing so often has double loyalties – the nursing home referring and the customer applying for the benefits.

Although all the parties at this point would want the application process to succeed, the private facility would want the patient to continue paying them privately for the longest time possible before shifting to Medicaid.

This is different from a lawyer whose loyalty will only be the client and will do everything possible to ensure that the Medicaid applications take effect as quickly as possible.

 

2. Saves you money

Hiring a lawyer to plan for you Medicaid will definitely save you a lot of money. This is because most nursing homes charge an estimate of $15,000 per month – an amount that way high than what a Medicaid attorney will charge for the entire legal process.

 

3. Malpractice insurance

When you hire a professional to assist you with Medicaid application, the expectation is that they will conduct themselves with absolute professionalism. However, this is always not the case – especially if you hire a non-listed lawyer.

The advantage of hiring a Medicaid attorney is that all of them have malpractice insurance – something that other Medicaid advisors don’t have.

 

4. Knowledge and experience

As much as hiring other Medicaid advisors and representatives might seem a cheaper option, the price of doing that might be grater. Medicaid planning attorneys have the requisite knowledge and experience when it comes to dealing with Medicaid planning.

That means they are best placed to advise you and your family to make the right choices. Other representatives might have good intentions for you, but lack appropriate knowledge and skills to execute their duties.

 

5. Peace of mind

There’s nothing that can give you peace of mind than knowing that all your Medicaid issues are being handled by a professional lawyer. You won’t have to worry about anything as long as you have done your consultation and agreed on the legal costs.

This is unlike using an inexperienced person who will run into several issues and keep coming back to you.

In general, hiring a Medicaid planning attorney is the best decision you can make. It will cost you a lot more to try and do it on your own or use a non-listed lawyer referred to you by a nursing home.