Certified Medicaid Planners (CMPs) assist individuals and families in organizing their assets to qualify for Medicaid coverage while preparing all the necessary documentation for applying. The best way to find the Medicaid consulting firms.
Never wait to start planning for Medicaid; even if you are already living in a nursing home, we are often here to assist.
State Health Insurance Programs Counselors
State health insurance program counselors (SHIP counselors) are local advisors who can assist Medicare beneficiaries in navigating their options. Unaffiliated with any insurance agency, these specialists offer impartial advice that can answer questions about Medicare, Medicaid, and supplemental health policies and help guide open enrollment changes. They may even assist seniors who have concerns regarding fraud or abuse within the Medicare system.
Every state and territory offers its own State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, these SHIP programs seek to foster a greater understanding of Medicare benefits among residents through individual counseling sessions and community education sessions. In 2018, SHIP advisors assisted more than 2.6 million individuals while also educating millions more through group presentations or other means.
There are more than 2,200 local sponsors nationwide for this program, such as area agencies on aging and social service agencies. Volunteer counselors receive training through the federal Office of Medicare and Medicaid Services but do not sell insurance products or agents themselves; instead, they offer lists of resources in their community that may help with meeting your specific needs.
Some states also provide Medicare beneficiaries with access to a SHIP telephone hotline that is open and available 24/7. The hotline features trained and certified counselors who can answer questions about Medicare Advantage plans, Part D coverage options, Medigap policies, and long-term care insurance policies. They can assist during open enrollment from October 15 to December 7 and resolve issues regarding complaints or appeals of plans.
New York Medicare beneficiaries have access to HIICAP, a federally funded program offering counseling and assistance on health insurance matters such as Medicare. Run by the New York State Office for the Aging; its staff is ready and waiting to assist with questions related to Medicare benefits.
Insurance Agents
Some insurance agents licensed to sell different kinds of policies offer Medicaid application support services; however, their primary aim is selling insurance policies. They may provide advice about purchasing “final expense” (aka burial) policies that help families reduce assets to meet Medicaid’s asset limit. Families need to be mindful that any individual whose primary goal is selling insurance rather than Medicaid planning could create an unhealthy conflict of interest that compromises planning efforts.
Insurance agents receive commissions when selling Medicare Advantage (MA), Medicare Part D, and Medigap policies. Commissions typically tie directly to enrollment and renewal; CMS sets maximum commission rates for these products annually. Furthermore, insurers may negotiate additional compensation or incentives with agents.
Most states regulate licensing requirements for insurance agents and agencies, often to protect consumers by assuring that each agent or agency meets minimum insurance coverage and education/training requirements while also protecting from misrepresentations or falsification in applications or contracts with states.
While numerous individuals and agencies are available to assist with the Medicaid application process, it is imperative to find someone with experience. This process can be quite intricate, and even one mistake could lead to denial of benefits. Therefore, it is wise to hire a certified Medicaid planner who will ensure all your needs are fulfilled effectively and reliably.
Friends for Life can assist seniors in planning for Medicaid long before health issues arise, yet it’s never too late to protect assets. Our team at Friends for Life specializes in helping seniors protect their hard-earned assets from long-term nursing home stays by creating cost-effective, legal, and ethical strategies to achieve Medicaid eligibility. Call us now so we can begin helping.
Certified Medicaid Planners
Certified Medicaid Planners are professionals with the skills, knowledge, and expertise to assist people navigate the complex rules and regulations governing Medicaid eligibility. Their job involves providing advice and guiding clients on how to structure their assets to maximize eligibility for benefits while protecting income and other valuable assets. Furthermore, certified Medicaid planners assist their clients with applying for benefits and complying with regulations; additionally, they can offer guidance regarding healthcare cost reduction and long-term care planning.
Aspiring Certified Medicaid Planners must complete an intensive training program and pass a certification exam. In addition, they must adhere to an ethics and professionalism code; failing this could incur fines or even criminal prosecution. The CMP Governing Board sets standards for Certified Medicaid Planners who possess competence and integrity – these two traits being crucial elements in fulfilling state regulations for compliance.
Individuals seeking to pursue this profession must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in healthcare finance, accounting, or law, two years’ experience, membership in the CMP Governing Board, and completion of training.
Certified Medicaid Planners’ primary duties involve assisting their clients in structuring their financial assets and preparing Medicaid application documentation while developing strategies to protect assets and income from long-term care costs, such as creating trusts or transferring assets; countable assets can then be converted to exempt ones; they also ensure that a healthy spouse remains financially independent during and after an applicant’s eligibility period for Medicaid eligibility.
Hired Certified Medicaid Planners provide several advantages beyond specialized knowledge and expertise, such as saving money, avoiding penalties, and providing peace of mind. However, potential drawbacks include high fees, limited availability, and potentially unethical behavior or miscommunication between client and planner; it is, therefore, crucial that you find one who understands your needs while clearly explaining the process to you.
Friends for Life
The FRIENDS for Life Program is a cognitive-behavioral intervention for children aged 8-13 designed to develop social and resilience skills in them, such as dealing with anxiety, depression, and self-efficacy issues. It has proven highly successful at reducing anxiety while increasing mental health and well-being while simultaneously improving focus, confidence, relaxation, and emotion regulation capabilities, as well as developing empathy in its participants.
This program, created in partnership with Fort Worth ISD and launched during the 2010-2011 school year, encourages students to report classmates who may be experiencing bullying, cyberbullying, sexting, dating or family violence, gang activity, or sexual harassment to Crime Stoppers of Tarrant County call center without providing identification details; students may use phone lines, websites, live chat systems or mobile applications to report the incidents.
Friends for Life has been providing emotional and psychosocial support to cancer survivors and their loved ones since 1995. Its staff provides emotional and psychosocial services, assists people in applying for benefits and setting budgets, assists with money management issues, and offers money advice. Volunteers trained by healthcare professionals offer one-to-one support, which is particularly important during times of recurrence or metastasis.
Friend for Life is currently providing support services to several homeless clients after the most significant money management program closed this summer. These services are provided free of charge through monthly giving programs; you can help support this organization by making a monthly contribution of $35 or more.
As a Friend for Life Warrior, you must commit to posting one uplifting mental health check-in type message each Friday of the FFL Meet-Up group. Although this commitment may be challenging, if it helps you meet someone special, you might just find your Friend for Life! Take part in various group-level peer mental health gatekeeping activities, like the FFL forum thread and special interest groups, to receive peer support while searching for your future friend for life. These interactive components ensure that there will be peer support at the group level. Although the safest version of this model requires having both an individual Friend for Life and group mental health gatekeeping component in place, you may still benefit from group support until your ideal match has been found.
