In Minnesota, Medicaid is called “Medical Assistance” or “MA”.  Under that umbrella, there are several different programs, but the one that we most often work with at Henningson & Snoxell is Medical Assistance for Long-Term Care Services (MA-LTC).  

MA-LTC is a needs-based program with numerous criteria for eligibility. This program helps people who meet those eligibility criteria cover long-term care services, including:

• skilled nursing facility services
• nursing facility services in an inpatient medical hospital
• intermediate care facility services for individuals with developmental disabilities
• services covered by home and community-based service waivers such as Brain Injury (BI), Community Alternative Care (CAC), Community Access Disability Inclusion (CADI), Developmental Disability (DD), and Elderly Waiver (EW)

These programs have strict income and asset limits which require individuals to spend down most of their assets on their care before applying for Medical Assistance.  

Spending down assets can be tricky, as there are rules about how money can be spent. For instance, if “Aunt Jenny” gives money to her niece as a graduation gift, it would likely be treated as an uncompensated transfer. As a penalty for having made a gift instead of spending money on her own care, when Aunt Jenny applies for Medical Assistance, an ineligibility period may be imposed.

Henningson & Snoxell’s Elder Law Practice has experience working with Medical Assistance cases. Our firm is here to help you and your loved ones create a plan to ensure coverage of long-term care costs without experiencing any surprises. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to help you start planning for your future care needs.

Rachell L. Henning is an Attorney with Henningson & Snoxell, LTD. Her primary area of practice includes elder law, conservatorships & guardianships, disability law, and long-term care planning.