Elder law attorney & and Medicaid planning, serving Tampa, Florida

The Law Offices of Kevin M. Gilhool are elder law attorneys whose Florida office is located in Tampa, Florida. Our elder law attorneys assist seniors, the disabled and their loved ones in the Tampa Bay area and throughout Florida with estate planning including wills and trusts; incapacity planning such as durable powers of attorney, designations of health care surrogate, and living wills; guardianships; estate and trust administration; disability planning including special needs trusts for the disabled who will receive an inheritance or proceeds from a lawsuit settlement; Veterans service-connected disability appeals; and long-term planning for those facing a health care crisis, including Veterans Administration non-service connected benefit planning and Medicaid planning.

Florida, like most states, has its own rules with regard to protecting savings and maximizing government benefits through Medicaid planning. While the Medicaid rules throughout the states have similarities since the Medicaid program has both federal and state components, there are still many differences. We often receive calls from a family member worried that the state of Florida will take his mother’s house because she is now residing in a nursing home and receiving Medicaid benefits. What makes the family member have this concern? A friend or relative in another state claims that the state “took” somebody she knows house who was receiving Medicaid benefits. If Medicaid benefits are going to be applied for in Florida, it is important to consult with and receive the proper guidance from an elder law attorney in Florida who is knowledgeable about Medicaid planning.

The elder law attorneys at The Law Offices of Kevin M. Gilhool are knowledgeable in the area of Medicaid planning and will work with you and your family to develop a plan that seeks to maximize government benefits and protect savings to the fullest extent possible. Government programs that assist with payment of nursing home costs are ever-changing and budget cuts in the future may force the elimination of some services that these programs currently provide. By planning to preserve a portion of your savings, funds could be set aside to pay for the services and needs of the nursing home resident that are not covered by government benefits now or in the future in order to enhance the resident’s quality of life.