Tri-Cities Elder Law Attorney

Aging parents, spouses – or even yourself – must start thinking about the future. You may or may not need long-term care, but you’ll certainly want to consider Medicaid planning and protecting your assets a top priority. As a Tri-Cities elder law attorney, we know that:

One-size-fits-all plans rarely works for a Tri-Cities estate plan
Comprehensive strategies can offer vital protection for you and your estate
Legal guidance can provide peace of mind to families, seniors and caregivers

Since 2006, ELG Estate Planning has helped Eastern Washington families and since 2015 in the Tri-Cities from our Kennewick office.

We pride ourselves on helping families preserve their life’s work and savings from Medicaid spend down. You or your loved one deserves exceptional care without the stress that everything you worked hard to achieve will need to be liquidated to pay for your long-term care needs.

If you or a loved one needs care now or wants to plan for the future, we’re here to discuss your options and create a strategic plan for you.

Click Here to Get in Touch With Our Tri-Cities Office

WHAT DOES AN ELDER LAW ATTORNEY DO?

Our team focuses on customizing an estate plan that focuses on your long-term care costs. Clients often underestimate the costs of long-term care. Washington’s average statewide private nursing facility rate is $11,899 per month, or $142,788 per year. Assisted living can cost well in excess of $64,200 per year.

You can plan for these costs, and it’s better to start now rather than waiting. If you wait until you or your loved one needs immediate care, it can lead to fewer planning options, penalties and higher costs.

A Tri-Cities elder law attorney from ELG Estate Planning can help you negate costs and provide peace of mind through:

Long-Term Care Planning

Comprehensive estate plans must consider long-term care planning to avoid sacrificing quality of care. We’ll analyze all of your options to find the best fit for your unique situation. Long-term care insurance may be available and the ideal solution for your situation, thus paying the cost of care.

If you qualify, or are close to qualifying, for government assistance through Medicaid, this may be your best option.

We can use strategic planning and asset protection strategies to help you get the state to pay for your care.

Plans and circumstances change – fast. We’ll help you develop a plan that is flexible and can change along with your circumstances.

We’ll ask you the important questions to help form a strategic estate plan that offers you and your loved ones asset protection and the peace of mind they need when facing care costs at home or if entering a care facility.

Medicaid Planning

Medicaid’s benefits go beyond basic health coverage. You can receive long-term care benefits through the program, but with swelling care costs, you do need to go through a qualifying process to receive these benefits.

You need to meet certain income and asset limits to qualify for Medicaid. However, knowledge of loopholes to rules restricting gifting or transferring assets can be used to preserve assets and qualify for benefits.

Medicaid has a look-back period of five years. If you transfer or gift assets without compensation in an attempt to qualify for Medicaid benefits, it will lead to penalties and should be avoided unless such transfers are a part of a well-thought-out Medicaid plan. As your Tri-Cities elder law attorney, we’ll begin planning early so that you can:

Preserve your assets
Understand your long-term care options
Protect your estate

If you don’t have a plan in place to qualify for Medicaid, you need a knowledgeable attorney to help create one. You can receive long-term care benefits without completely depleting your estate.

Medicaid Crisis Planning

Life can be unexpected. Maybe it was your intention to start planning for your long-term care earlier in life, but your health has taken an unexpected turn. A medical emergency or an unexpected illness may make it challenging to leverage MAPS® to ensure you qualify for benefits.

At ELG Estate Planning, we know first-hand that a crisis can arise at any time. If it does, our team is here to help.

When we don’t have the luxury of time for advance planning, we can employ strategies to help you or a loved one qualify for long-term care benefits.

Our team will:

Take the time to understand your unique situation
Determine whether loans or gifts have impacted your eligibility temporarily
Find the best course of action for your long-term care needs

We cannot go back in time, but we can take steps now to help ensure vital care is received and assets preserved.

Medicaid Asset Preservation Strategies®

Medicaid laws are highly complex and ever-changing. However, one thing remains true: qualifying for benefits can be challenging without the right strategies.

An experienced elder law attorney can help.

At ELG Estate Planning, we employ Medicaid Asset Preservation Strategies® (MAPS®) that aim to preserve your family’s assets without compromising on care. These strategies may include but are not limited to:

Purchasing long-term care insurance to offset care costs while protecting your assets.
Spend down strategies, such as purchasing medical equipment, investing in Medicaid-compliant annuities, eliminating debt, or renovating your home to make it more accessible.
Forming a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, which transfers ownership of assets to the trust. Because Medicaid’s look-back period will apply, it’s important to employ this strategy carefully and to plan ahead.

These strategies are just a few of several that we may employ to help ensure eligibility for benefits without compromising on the quality of care you receive.

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A TRI-CITIES ELDER LAW ATTORNEY

Choosing a Tri-Cities elder law attorney is not a decision to take lightly. Planning for your long-term care needs will have a direct impact on your quality of life and your family’s finances.

Working with the right legal professional is key. Here are a few important things to consider when choosing an elder law attorney.

Is elder law their main area of focus? Having the right expertise and experience is crucial.
Will they take the time to get to know you and your goals? Your attorney should work with you to ensure that your individual needs and goals are met.
Are they responsive? Will the attorney be available if you have questions or concerns? What is their typical response time to phone calls and emails?
What is their pricing structure? They should be transparent about their pricing, so you know when and how to pay for their services.

Also, consider whether you feel comfortable with the attorney. Are they trustworthy and compassionate? Do they truly care about helping their clients?

At ELG Estate Planning, we focus exclusively on elder law and estate planning. Our extensive experience with long-term care planning and Medicaid planning helps clients ensure they receive the care they need while protecting the assets they have worked so hard to attain.

We’re passionate about what we do and helping clients achieve their goals.

HIRING A TRI-CITIES ELDER LAW ATTORNEY FROM ELG ESTATE PLANNING TO HELP WITH YOUR ELDER LAW NEEDS

Compassion and respect are the pillars of our foundation at ELG Estate Planning. Our experienced and capable elder law attorneys can help guide you and your family through the process of planning for your long-term care and Medicaid planning needs.

TRI-CITIES PRACTICE AREAS