What Is Medicaid — and Can It Pay for Care at Home?

When the money runs low, Medicaid becomes the most important word in senior care.

Medicaid is the state-and-federal program that pays for long-term care for people with limited income and assets. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid can pay for ongoing care — in a nursing home, and here in Maryland, at home or in the community through programs like Community First Choice and home-and-community-based waiver programs. That means qualifying seniors can receive paid caregivers in their own home. But qualifying involves strict financial limits and a five-year look-back at asset transfers — give money away at the wrong time and you can trigger a penalty. That’s why timing matters, and why an elder law attorney can often protect far more than families expect, completely legally.

Too many families spend down to nothing in a panic, or wait for a crisis to ask. Understanding Medicaid early — even if you never need it — is one of the smartest moves a family can make.

This has been Care Without Crisis Explains, presented by Vanguard Care Solutions.

For more free videos and family resources — or when you’re ready to talk about care at home — visit vanguardcaresolutions.com or call 301-327-1444.