{"id":1463,"date":"2022-12-09T01:41:43","date_gmt":"2022-12-09T01:41:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/law-oh.com\/?p=1463"},"modified":"2022-10-27T20:59:08","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T20:59:08","slug":"couples-can-benefit-from-medicaid-compliant-annuities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/law-oh.com\/couples-can-benefit-from-medicaid-compliant-annuities\/","title":{"rendered":"Couples Can Benefit From Medicaid-Compliant Annuities"},"content":{"rendered":"
As a financial product, an annuity pays a fixed amount of money every year, generally throughout the life of the owner of the annuity. Most annuities are deferred, meaning the payout doesn\u2019t occur until a later date. However, you can receive immediate payouts if you purchase a Medicaid-Compliant Annuity (MCA<\/a>). When you buy a Medicaid annuity, you give a company a lump sum of cash in exchange for a guaranteed income stream. While only private insurance companies can issue annuities, you may purchase them through banks, financial planners, insurance agents, and brokerage firms.<\/p>\n In what circumstances is a Medicaid annuity beneficial? Many Medicaid applicants are denied coverage for long-term care because they have too much money or too many assets. However, Medicaid applicants applying with insufficient funds to pay their nursing home bills can leave a healthy spouse destitute in the short term if paying out of pocket. A Medicaid-compliant annuity can accelerate eligibility for the joint state and federal Medicaid health insurance program, which pays for a person\u2019s medical bills and nursing home care while providing reliable income for the healthy at-home spouse.<\/p>\n To properly plan for a Medicaid-compliant annuity, seek the advice of an elder law attorney who understands your state\u2019s Medicaid rules. There are ordinary immediate payout annuities that are not Medicaid-compliant, so it is critical to receive the correct advice before your purchase. The goal for married couples is for the healthy spouse (the annuity owner) to collect the annuity income while the spouse needing medical benefits from Medicaid-funded extended care and nursing home benefits remains eligible.<\/p>\n These Medicaid-compliant annuities are challenging to set up, may not cover all of your assets, and preclude you from accessing them if you require them for future needs. However, because of long-term care\u2019s prohibitive costs, many married couples are willing to accept these potential risks because Medicare does not cover long-term care. The national average<\/a> for long-term care insurance for a couple both 60 years old is $3,400, and approximately 30 percent of applicants between 60 and 69 are declined coverage.<\/p>\n While that may seem like a lot of money to pay in premiums, if you qualify for the insurance, it pales in comparison to the national estimates of long-term care costs out of pocket. According to Genworth<\/a>, the cost of long-term care in a 2021 survey<\/a> cites the following monthly average costs:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n annuity.org<\/a><\/p>\n Purchasing a Medicaid annuity converts an asset into a monthly income stream for the healthy spouse, and this income does not count toward Medicaid eligibility. Purchasing this annuity type means the couple\u2019s assets do not have to be \u201cspent down\u201d for one to be Medicaid eligible. However, the annuity payments must be completed before the end of the healthy spouse\u2019s life expectancy so that the annuity purchase does not become giftable to heirs.<\/p>\n A Medicaid-compliant annuity will convert liquid assets into a lifelong income stream that helps a healthy spouse maintain their quality of life while the spouse in need of long-term care can still qualify for Medicaid. The Medicaid-friendly annuity requires that it be irrevocable (unchangeable) and non-transferrable to heirs upon your death. Since this purchase must be irrevocable to achieve the goals, it is crucial to meet with an elder law attorney to ensure your selection is the right financial product for your circumstances. A Medicaid-compliant annuity can help both spouses in a marriage to get the resources they need should one require long-term care.<\/p>\n Contact<\/strong><\/a> our office at <\/strong>(740) 947-7277<\/strong><\/a> to speak with experienced elder law attorneys who specialize in long-term care and Medicaid. <\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a financial product, an annuity pays a fixed amount of money every year, generally throughout the life of the owner of the annuity. Most annuities are deferred, meaning the payout doesn\u2019t occur until a later date. However, you can receive immediate payouts if you purchase a Medicaid-Compliant Annuity (MCA). When you buy a Medicaid…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[52,65,97,96],"post_series":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Benefits of a Medicaid Annuity<\/h1>\n
Medicaid-Compliant Annuity Requirements<\/h1>\n
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Drawbacks for Medicaid-Compliant Annuities<\/h1>\n
Non-Countable Income Stream<\/h1>\n