Consult a Certified Elder Law Attorney
for Effective Medicaid Planning
We’re all feeling dis-
gusted with big business
these days. Nevertheless,
you can be sure American
capitalism isn’t going
anywhere. Whenever and
wherever there’s money to
be made, enterprising indi-
viduals are going to step
up to the plate and figure
out a way to do it. Many Joseph S. Karp,
people have found just C.E.L.A.
such an opportunity in the graying of
the American population. With our
greater longevity and the enormous
cost of long-term nursing home care,
Medicaid planning services are in
particularly high demand. In fact, an
entire industry has grown up around
this need.
Unfortunately, not everyone who
has stepped in to fill this need—how-
ever well-intentioned he or she may
be—fully understands Medicaid laws
or knows how to best help clients.
It’s a formidable challenge for any-
one to understand the full breadth of
Medicaid law, which is mind-numb-
# #
ingly complex and in an almost
Listen to Joe Karp with
Anita Finley on Saturday,
April 18 from 7:30-8:00 AM
on WSBR 740AM and on the
# #
Internet at www.wsbrradio.com.
incessant state of change. Without a
full grasp of the law and its ramifica-
tions, a financial professional or even
an attorney purporting to understand
and practice Medicaid planning may
end up creating a legal and financial
morass for clients...the very situa-
tion clients wanted to avoid to begin
with.
The obvious and best source for
guidance in this area is a certified
elder law attorney. States the Florida
Bar: While all lawyers are allowed
to advertise, only certified attorneys
are allowed to identify themselves as
“Florida Bar Certified” or as a “spe-
cialist.” Certification is the highest
level of recognition by The
Florida Bar of the compe-
tency and experience of
attorneys in the areas of
law approved for certifica-
tion by the State Supreme
Court. Even after securing
certification, the elder law
attorney must hold onto it
by staying current with the
law and applying for recer-
tification every five years.
There is also a national certification
available for elder law attorneys
through the National Elder Law
Foundation, the body accredited by
the American Bar Association to
confer this credential. Like state cer-
tification, national certification also
requires the attorney to demonstrate
continued competence and to be re-
certified periodically. I am happy to
tell you that I hold both Florida and
national certifications.
When you consult a certified
elder law attorney for Medicaid
planning advice, you can be confident
the information you are getting is
objective and based on your needs,
and only your needs. A certified
elder law attorney will understand the
tax and other ramifications of various
strategies like gifting. He/she will not
push a particular financial product
unless it is appropriate for you. An-
nuities, for example, have received
widespread and erroneous promotion
as magic bullets for securing Medi-
caid benefits.
If you are concerned about
preserving your assets against the
astronomical cost of nursing home
care, I urge you to consult with a cer-
tified elder law attorney.
Joseph S. Karp is a nationally certified
and Florida Bar-certified elder law attorney
(C.E.L.A.) specializing in the practice of Trusts,
Estates and Elder Law. His offices are locat-
ed at 2500 Quantum Lakes Drive, Boynton
Beach; 2875 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gar-
dens; and 1100 SW St. Lucie W. Blvd., Port
St. Lucie. Call him at 561-752-4550 (Boyn-
ton); 561-625-1100 (Palm Beach Gardens);
or 772-343-8411 (Port St. Lucie). Toll-free
from anywhere: 800-893-9911. E-mail: KLF@
Karplaw.com or website www.karplaw.com