Kansas City residents are living longer these days than ever before. With this, however, comes the increased need for long-term care. As the population gets older, more and more individuals will eventually need to enter a nursing home or receive in-home care. And this care is not cheap. In fact, for residents of Kansas and Missouri, a stay in a nursing home can cost as much as $60,000 annually, and these costs are only going up.
Many residents of Kansas depend on Medicaid benefits in order to pay for their long-term care needs. However, the Medicaid application process can be complex. The state has certain requirements in place regarding Medicaid eligibility. For example, each state sets a maximum allowed income for applicants in order to be eligible for benefits. Moreover, an individual’s total assets cannot go above the Individual Resource Allowance. In Missouri this amount is set at $999.99 and in Kansas it set at $2,000. Although some types of assets are exempted from this amount, it still goes to show how Medicaid eligibility is a complex topic.
Any mistakes or insufficiencies in an individual’s Medicaid application can result in a denial of benefits. This could be financially disastrous for an individual in need of long-term care. Therefore, before applying for Medicaid, it may help to speak to an elder law attorney. These professionals have provided clients with the advice they needed to understand the Medicaid requirements in their states. They have helped take care of the details that their clients may not have been familiar with.
The law firm of Stockton & Kandt LLC has a webpage on Medicaid in Kansas and Missouri that may be the first place individuals may want to go to learn more about Medicaid. By staying educated on the topic and seeking the right legal help, individuals in Kansas City interested in applying for Medicaid can make informed decisions.