Medicaid - What If This System Is Necessary

Assuming that you have qualified for Medicaid - what do you do to receive the benefits? Generally, you apply for Medicaid benefits by completing the written forms. Your state has local Medicaid offices which enable you to obtain the forms and to apply for benefits. Remember that you will need a substantial amount of documentation to qualify, so you should be prepared to bring the information in the following list:

1. Birth Certificate;
2. Driver's License;
3. Social Security ID;
4. Marital Status proof;
5. Proof of place of residence [mortgage statement, deed, etc.];
6. Proof of your income from all sources;
7. Proof of your resources from all sources; and
8. Proof of transfers of your income or resources for the past three (3) years.

Remember that typically, states will require that you sign the forms indicating that you have disclosed all information relevant to Medicaid's needs. Additionally, these forms will require such signatures under some form of penalty of perjury. This means that you will be signing these forms that the information that you have provided to Medicaid is true and correct to the best of your knowledge. This does not mean that you can later claim, for example, that you "forgot" the fact that for 20 years you received a lump sum payment of $1,000 per month from your uncle Harry. You are required to disclose all of your relevant income and resource information to Medicaid officials.

What many people do is consult with an attorney before they apply, and go over all of their income, resources and transfers of each with their attorney. The attorney can make a determination of whether the income, resources or transfers ought to be disclosed to Medicaid under the law. By doing this "dry run," even though it may cost several hundreds of dollars, you can be sure that Medicaid is receiving only the information which you are required by law to disclose and to provide proof thereof.

This early legal consultation also serves two other purposes. First, if there is a legal question, legal research can be done before the fact, to make a certain determination. Second, your attorney might also be able to disclose one or more preventative measures that you could take now, which may help you qualify for Medicaid in the future, such as drafting or even amending, a trust.

Medicaid - What If This System Is Necessary

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