Proving Eligibility

Test #1 is met if you can prove the client is over age 65, blind or disabled and is in need of medical assistance in a nursing home.

Test #2 is not related to financial need. You are required to prove that you are Michigan resident, have a social security number, apply for all benefits for which you are eligible, and identify any possible third party payment source.

The proofs for Tests #1 and #2 are usually provided through documents like the following: a driver’s license or state identification card, birth certificate, marriage certificate, Social Security card, Medicare card, and health insurance cards.

There is no doubt that passing Test #3 and Test #4 gets the most attention from elderly clients and their attorneys or financial counselors.

In order to be eligible for help from the Medicaid entitlement program, you must prove that you are a “financially needy” person according to the asset and income limits set by the Department of Human Services.

The matter of who meets the definition of a “financially needy” person is the subject of considerable debate and often strong differences of opinion. To prove that you are a financially needy person often requires you to legally restructure your resources in new and different ways.

To the uninformed, many perfectly legal planning techniques may sound “fishy” or “too good to be true.”

As a result, the process of proving your eligibility to the State of Michigan all too often risks becoming adversarial. Aggressive planning to protect your assets -- in order to obtain Medicaid – requires the assistance of a skilled advisor and is FULLY PERMISSIBLE when done within the rules.