Sometimes people get the terms Medicaid and Medicare mixed up, but they are two different things. Medicaid is a joint state and federal level program to offer help to those who have low incomes to cover medical costs. There are federal rules but each state chooses to run it how they see fit. A part of that is something called Medicaid planning. This means seeing a medicaid planning attorney in Tampa, FL or where you are to get help with protecting assets and costs of long-term nursing care.
Many people do not consider just how expensive long-term care is going to be. In Florida alone, costs for a good nursing home are around $10,000 a month! Even people who have managed well for their lives when it comes to money can struggle to pay for that. A lot of people who have their own homes and planned for their retirement still end up losing everything and are unable to pay for those long-term care facilities. While Medicare might cover something short-term, it does not help with a longer or permanent stay.
A medicaid planning attorney in Tampa, FL can help protect your assets while helping with the qualification for Medicaid help. A person can get help and still use assets to improve their quality of life and do the things they want to do. It also means you are more likely to have something left in your estate to leave to your heirs. With approval from Medicaid you could have the nursing home bill paid in full. But even if you prefer to stay at home you could get some of the costs covered to get some help from homecare workers.
Medicare
This is just a federal program specifically for people of retirement age and older. Seniors join up with help from a medicare attorney in Tampa, FL, when they reach that age. It can help with payments to hospitals, prescriptions, outpatient care and more depending on which sections you have signed up for. There are four parts, A, B, C and D. A helps you pay for visits to an ER, hospital stays, short-term (not longer) care at nursing facilities, some home care and hospice stays. B covers medical supplies, some services and outpatient care. C offers both A and B. D is A and B plus help with prescription costs
With the help of a medicare attorney in Tampa, FL you can ensure you enroll with the right part for your needs. When you reach the right age you then have seven months to join otherwise there are late fees to pay. Due to the fact that people pay into Medicare while employed if you enrol just for Part A there are no premium fees.
Conclusion
Whether you need help with Medicaid planning or signing up for Medicare the right attorney can help. Look for someone with a few years of experience who knows how the state works. You might be able to get more help than you think!
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