The cost of long-term care can quickly deplete a client’s lifetime savings, making proactive planning essential for elder law and estate planning practitioners. This course provides a practical overview of the legal and financial strategies available to help clients pay for long-term care while preserving assets whenever possible.
Participants will examine Medicaid eligibility requirements, resource and income rules, spousal protections, transfer penalties, estate recovery, and common planning pitfalls. The course also explores alternative funding sources—including long-term care insurance, Medicare coverage, state partnership programs, Veterans Administration pension benefits, and other planning options—allowing attorneys to evaluate when each strategy may be appropriate.
Using real-world examples and practical guidance, the program equips attorneys to identify common issues, counsel clients regarding eligibility requirements, and develop comprehensive long-term care funding strategies.
Attorneys will learn to:
* Explain the eligibility requirements for Medicaid long-term care benefits, including countable resources, exempt assets, income rules, and spousal impoverishment protections.
* Identify how Medicaid transfer penalties, lookback periods, and estate recovery rules affect long-term care planning and asset preservation strategies.
* Evaluate the advantages and limitations of alternative long-term care funding sources, including long-term care insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, state partnership programs, and Veterans Administration pension benefits.
* Recognize common planning mistakes and develop strategies to help clients preserve assets while preparing for future long-term care needs.
* Compare available funding options and determine how multiple benefit programs may be coordinated to support a client’s overall long-term care plan.
This practical program equips attorneys with the knowledge necessary to identify planning opportunities, recognize potential pitfalls and develop legally sound strategies that protect both clients and their families. Attendees will leave with actionable guidance for counseling aging clients, preserving family wealth and confidently addressing the increasingly complex legal issues surrounding long-term care planning. Colleen D. Bratkovich, Esq., is a Shareholder and Partner at Zacharia Brown & Bratkovich and practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Estate Administration.