If you’ve been denied Medicaid benefits because you have too many assets or too high an income, don’t give up. There are available programs that may enable you to qualify for Medicaid benefits, despite this setback. Each state may offer different programs, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has added new ways to obtain coverage. This article addresses the “spend down program” offered in every state.

Medicaid Spend-Down Program – The Basics

To qualify for Medicaid benefits, your income and assets may not exceed a certain amount set by law. If these items do exceed the legal limits, you may still qualify after a spend-down period. The medically needy spend-down program helps individuals over the age of 65, and some younger individuals with disabilities. To be eligible for this program, you must not be receiving public financial assistance.

Exempt & Non-Exempt Assets

It is not necessary to sell off everything you own to qualify for the spend-down program. You may keep a certain amount of “exempt assets,” such as the home you live in, your car (used for transportation), household furniture, clothes, jewelry and other personal items. None of these assets affect your eligibility, regardless of their value (unless you have high equity, say $1 million in an asset, in which case you may need to spend that down).

Non-exempt assets, on the other hand, do affect your eligibility for the spend-down program. These assets include bank accounts, stocks, investments, and cash over $2,000 for an individual or $3,000 for a married couple.

Amount of Income You Can Have to Apply

It does not matter how much income you have when you apply. The more income you have, though, the more medical expenses you must incur before your coverage can start. The way you spend down this income is by spending it on medical expenses, until you reach the income requirements for Medicaid. Interestingly, you just need to incur medical costs. You don’t have to actually pay them.

In addition, you can pay down accrued debt to spend down your income. Therefore, paying down credit card bills, car payments, or mortgage debt can count towards your spend down. Another tactic you can use, is to pay excess monthly amounts on old medical bills.

Seeking Professional Assistance

Medicaid programs are different in each state, and the laws change frequently. If done wrong, you could end up incurring penalties instead of obtaining benefits. It may be a good idea to enlist the help of a Medicaid specialist or elder law attorney to walk you through the process in a way that will avoid these types of penalties.

Resources:

National Council on Aging. “Benefits Checkup” (Accessed November 28, 2019) https://www.benefitscheckup.org/fact-sheets/factsheet_medicaid_la_medicaid_spend_down/#/

U.S. News and World Report. “How a Medicaid Spend Down Works.” (Accessed 28, 2019) https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/baby-boomers/articles/how-a-medicaid-spend-down-works

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys