Medicaid can seem like a never-ending tunnel with miles of rules, exceptions to the rules and exceptions to the exceptions to the exceptions. No wonder many senior citizens, trying to find out if they qualify, walk this labyrinth in terror of meeting the Minotaur around the next corner. Medicaid rules may be very different from one another in varying states and can switch meanings if your living situation or financial circumstances change. Many of those applying for Medicaid are also under a significant amount of stress as they deal with an aging parent or relative.

Medicaid is a “need-based” program. This means that the applicant must be literally unable to pay for their own healthcare. A “need-based” system is flawed in that there are bound to be many senior citizens whose needs fall just outside the monetary limit set by Medicaid. As such, they will be unable to apply for health care. Without the proper guidance of someone who understands the tangled web of Medicaid, many seniors may find themselves in the terrible position of being too rich to qualify for health care, and yet too poor to pay for it themselves.

Fortunately, there are many strategies for dealing with the Medicaid dilemma. In many cases, applicants can become eligible by bringing the value of their assets under the limit. This move is known as Medicaid “spend down.” In a spend-down, the applicant must pay bills from their own funds until they are depleted. At this point, Medicaid will require that other eligibility conditions are met. To assist you with this process, you may wish to hire a Medicaid planner to help you with the spend-down procedure.

Applicants for Medicaid can use their “excess” funds that they have over the approval limit to become approved in advance through a Medicaid planning company. At the same time, the can receive professional assistance with the application process. That way, the applicant is able to get on the Medicaid plan with the help of a professional in the field. Professional Medicaid planners can help applicants with the classification and management of assets to help ensure that the applicant remains qualified for Medicaid while retaining as much of their assets as possible.

Many people are unaware that assets such as personal possessions, prepaid funeral expenses and trusts for disabled children are NOT considered part of a person’s total assets. A Medicaid planner will be able to help you determine what counts against you and want doesn’t. He or she will also be able to explain the “look-back” period, which is worse than any IRS audit, and how a spouse can affect a Medicaid application. Rather than become entangled in this web alone, consider enlisting the services of a trusted Medicaid planner to guide you safely through the maze.

Author Bio : Joseph Styles is a researcher and blogger with experience writing on multiple topics including Home Health Care and more. He is currently writing for Home Care Summit.