Category Archives: Attorney Articles
Why the Five-Year Medicaid Lookback Period Isn’t Always the Disaster Families Fear
When a Florida family begins planning for long-term care, one phrase can cause immediate panic: “the five-year lookback.” Families often hear that Medicaid will examine everything they have done with their money during the previous five years and assume that one mistake—or one gift to a child—will automatically result in five years without Medicaid…. Read More »
Florida Medicaid Home Care: How the Waiver Program Can Help You Stay at Home
Most people assume Medicaid only helps pay for nursing home care. In reality, Florida also offers home- and community-based services that may allow eligible individuals to receive care while remaining in their own homes. Through Florida’s Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid Waiver Program, eligible individuals may receive assistance with: daily activities home… Read More »
Can Your Client Keep the Family Home AND Qualify for Medicaid? Florida Medicaid Rules Every Professional Should Know
What Florida attorneys and allied professionals should know about Medicaid eligibility, the family home, carrying costs, rental income, replacement property, and estate recovery. For many Florida clients, the family home is their most valuable asset, both financially and emotionally. While a primary residence may be excluded when determining Medicaid eligibility, that does not necessarily… Read More »
Florida Long-Term Care Insurance vs. Medicaid: How They Work Together
One of the biggest financial risks facing Florida retirees isn’t the stock market, it’s the cost of long-term care. Whether care is needed at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing facility, expenses can quickly drain a lifetime of savings. Understanding how Florida long-term care insurance and Florida Medicaid work together can help… Read More »
The Florida Medicaid Asset Limit Explained
What Counts, What Doesn’t, and What Families Often Get Wrong One of the biggest misconceptions about the Florida Medicaid asset limit is that you must spend almost everything you own before you can qualify. While Medicaid does have strict financial rules, not everything you own counts toward the asset limit. In fact, many valuable… Read More »
Protect Your Life Savings from Florida Long-Term Care Costs
For many families, the fear isn’t death. It’s the cost of getting there. A serious illness, dementia diagnosis, stroke, or simply the effects of aging can create a need for long-term care that lasts for years. Unfortunately, long-term care is expensive. Assisted living facilities in Florida commonly cost several thousand dollars per month, while… Read More »
How a Special Needs Trust in Florida Can Protect an Inheritance for a Child with Special Needs
For parents and grandparents of a child with special needs, one question often keeps them up at night: “What will happen to my child when I’m gone?” Most families want to leave money or property to help provide for a loved one’s future. Unfortunately, a well-meaning inheritance can sometimes create unexpected problems. If assets… Read More »
The Hidden Cost of Waiting: Why Florida Families Lose More Than Money When They Delay Medicaid Planning
Applying for Medicaid can be a long and stressful process but much of that can be avoided by working with an elder law attorney to plan in advance. Starting the Florida Medicaid planning process before an individual needs care can ensure that assets are protected and help make for a smooth application process when… Read More »
ABLE Accounts in 2026: Expanded Eligibility Creates New Planning Opportunities for Medicaid, SSI, and Special Needs Beneficiaries
For Florida families navigating disability planning, Medicaid eligibility, SSI preservation, and special needs trust planning, the expansion of ABLE account eligibility creates important new opportunities. A Landmark Change in Florida Disability Planning Beginning January 1, 2026, one of the most important disability planning reforms in recent memory took effect. The ABLE Age Adjustment Act… Read More »
Assisted Living vs. Nursing Homes: Florida Medicaid Planning Explained
As Florida’s population continues to age, more Florida families are facing difficult decisions about long-term care for aging parents, spouses, or even themselves. One of the most common areas of confusion involves the difference between assisted living facilities and nursing homes — and perhaps even more importantly, how these types of care can be… Read More »