Every month you delay or avoid putting in place a life savings protection plan is another month that you will have to pay for a Connecticut nursing home with your life savings. That is the way the 5 year look-back works. Sound expensive? It is.

In its most recent survey, the State of Connecticut determined the average monthly cost of a Connecticut nursing home is $9,464.00. This adds up quickly as some people put off implementing life savings protection for months or even years, and others put it off until it is just too late. There is a much less expensive alternative, but before we get to that we have to take a look at what many families are experiencing out there.

Connecticut nursing home costs are among the highest in the nation. Every day I see families stuck writing checks to nursing homes in amounts of $10,000 or more – with no end in sight. These families failed to plan ahead, and they are paying a costly price now. In many cases, these families lose all or a significant portion of their life savings to Connecticut nursing home costs. I wish there was more we could do, but when it is too late it is just too late.

Some families I see try to create their own life savings protection plan. I’ve never seen it work out the way they intend or think it will when people act without an experienced attorney. I see people all the time that have transferred their parent’s money to family members or themselves and for some reason many of these individuals think these transfers will not be a problem when they go through the 5 year look-back period while applying for Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits.

Every single financial transaction during the 5 year look-back period is subject to audit and assessment of a penalty if the State deems it a penalizing transfer. You may have the greatest rationale in your own mind , but if you have no evidence and no support in the regulations or case law you really have nothing except a big mess that will cost more to clean up than if you got professional help in the first place.

If what I described above sounds acceptable to you, then you may want to run down to casino and bet everything on black because you are quite the gambler. If you are not the gambling type, and want a strategy you can count on to protect your life savings, keep reading.

The other families I see are looking for solid protection for their hard earned life savings. I am proud to say that I help these families on a regular basis achieve their goals of protecting assets not only for children, but also for their spouse and themselves. It can be done.

You have options to protect your family against a Medicaid required “spend-down”. These options expire, and when they are gone they are gone for good. When you are within five years of needing Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits you will not be able to take advantage of these proven techniques. Nobody knows when their 5 year window will start, so most people choose to act sooner rather than later.

One popular option is The Connecticut Medicaid Asset Protection Trust which helps families protect amounts from $50,000 – $1,000,000.00. There are many other techniques that may or may not available depending on your unique situation. Together we can find a solution that works for your unique circumstance.

Doing nothing in July of 2008 just cost you $9,464 in lost asset protection. August is coming to add on another $9,464. See a trend here? The clock is ticking.

This is the third post in my series on mistakes people make when looking ahead to a possible Connecticut Medicaid application for nursing home assistance. The mistake we are looking at today is PROCRASTINATION.

In too many cases, families have transferred funds, made purchases, or otherwise acted on the annecdotal advice of people. I guess people start out with the assumption that obtaining Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits is really no big deal.

In most cases, applying for Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits is a very big deal. At the bare minimum, the process is an audit of the last 3+ years of financial activity for the applicant and the applicant’s spouse. The more assets and transactions a person has within that look-back period, the more complicated the eligibility process is going to be. And contrary to what many people think, nobody is entitled to receive Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits. It is the responsibility of the applicant to prove to the Department of Social Services that you qualify for benefits.

The Real Cost

Mistakes and delays during an application for Connecticut Medicaid nursing home benefits are costly. The nursing home bill and other medical expenses continue to pile up every month even when the Connecticut Medicaid application is pending. You may not see the bill until after your application is denied, but it is still there. A Connecticut Medicaid attorney can help get you through the process promptly while protecting your assets.

Applying for Connecticut Title 19 Medicaid benefits can be tricky. Some of the questions on the application may seem straightforward while others may seem downright confusing. Assuming you submit a completed application for Connecticut Title 19 Medicaid benefits what happens after you have been denied?

A lot of people are denied for Connecticut Medicaid benefits after their initial application. The reason why their application is denied could be any number of reasons. In some cases the application is incomplete or inaccurate. In some cases assets may be attributed to the applicant when they should not be. In some cases you may be entitled to Connecticut Medicaid benefits but the way the system is set up, it is just not within the power of the case worker to approve your application. This last case is very common with married couples.

Whatever the reason, if you have been denied Medicaid benefits the clock starts ticking. You can accept the decision and spend down your assets, perhaps more than you need to; or you can appeal the decision and request a hearing.

If you plan to appeal, you only have a limited amount of time. At the appeal stage you are facing a hearing with an administrative law judge that will base their decision to approve or deny your application on their interpretation of the relevant laws and administrative regulations. A Connecticut Medicaid Attorney can represent you and help present your case at this hearing.

The Special Focus Facility program is a great tool for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as for consumers. I don’t image many nursing home facility administrators brag about their participation in the SFF program so this is one of those things you need to research on your own.

Connecticut had only two facilities on the most recent Special Focus Facility report. Chelsea Place Care Center is included in the list of nursing homes that have shown improvement while being a Special Focus Facility for 11 months. The Wethersfield Health Care Center is also identified as showing improvement while being in the SFF program for 37 months. Hopefully Wethersfield Health Care Center will graduate from the program soon after such a prolonged stay.

Additional information on what the Special Focus Facility program is and what it means to you as a consumer can be found here.