At Brumbaugh Law Firm, we help Ashland families protect the family farm when a parent enters a nursing home and the bills start climbing. Since 2002, our attorneys have guided north-central Ohio families through exactly this situation. As a member of Ohio NAELA with a 5-star client rating, we bring real experience to every case.
Medicaid planning is the legal work of protecting what your family has built while helping your parent qualify for long-term care benefits. It covers crisis planning for families whose parent is already in a facility, not only early planning done years ahead.
According to the Genworth Cost of Care Survey 2023, Ohio’s average nursing home cost was approximately $8,517 per month for a semi-private room. We offer phone and video consultations, so your first conversation never requires a long drive to Sandusky.
What Ashland Families Say About Brumbaugh Law Firm
“We were going to lose our house, cars, everything… we were able to keep our house and cars.” John W.
Careful planning can protect more than families expect, even when the situation feels urgent.
“We both feel a lot better and relieved that everything will be taken care of as we get older.” James & Linda T.
A plan in place brings real relief for the whole family.
“Michael was so helpful in explaining issues in a way that we could understand.” David H.
Plain-language guidance matters when the pressure is high and the rules feel confusing.
“I had tried to deal with the Veterans Administration on my own… Mike did a fantastic job, he took care of everything.” Robert S.
You do not have to figure out a complicated system alone.
“Everyone there went out of their way to make things pleasant… I can call and be treated wonderfully well.” Karen B.
The care does not stop once the plan is done.
You can read more of these 5-star reviews to hear how other Ohio families felt guided through every step.
Our Medicaid Planning Services in Ashland
- Medicaid eligibility analysis and planning
- Asset protection strategies including irrevocable trusts and spousal planning
- Spend-down planning to reduce what your family pays out of pocket
- Medicaid crisis planning when a parent is already in a nursing home
- Long-term care planning for current and future needs
- Caregiver agreements for family members who provide care
- Power of attorney and healthcare directives tied to Medicaid planning
- Estate plan review to make sure your documents work with Medicaid rules
- Ohio Medicaid application guidance from start to finish
- PASSPORT and waiver program help for care at home
- Estate recovery planning to help protect what stays in the family
- Coordination with care facilities across Ashland County
Get Trusted Legal Support Today
For straightforward legal advice and representation, contact Brumbaugh Law. Call (419) 504-4674 to schedule your consultation.
How Ohio Medicaid Eligibility Works for Long-Term Care
Long-term care Medicaid helps pay for nursing home care when a parent’s own funds run short. The state looks at income and assets. Some assets count toward eligibility and others do not.
According to the Ohio Department of Medicaid, a single applicant for long-term care Medicaid may keep no more than $2,000 in countable assets, while a community spouse may keep between $32,532 and $162,660 in 2026.
What farm families need to know:
- Some assets are exempt, including the home, one vehicle, and set-aside burial funds.
- A married couple’s healthy spouse can keep a protected share of assets, called the community spouse resource allowance.
- Ohio uses a five-year look-back on gifts and transfers, which can create penalties if handled wrong.
- The PASSPORT Waiver may allow care at home instead of a nursing home.
Applications run through Ashland County Job and Family Services. Rules shift and every situation differs, so Medicaid crisis planning is worth a conversation even after placement.
Why Choose Brumbaugh Law Firm for Medicaid Planning in Ashland
We understand families, not just paperwork
Farmland gets treated differently under Ohio Medicaid rules, and a general attorney may not know how to work with it. We help families identify what may be protected before anyone assumes the farm has to be sold.
More than 23 years focused on Ohio elder law
Michael Brumbaugh has guided Ohio families through nursing home and Medicaid situations since 2002. We have seen situations like yours before, including urgent ones.
A recognized name in elder law
We are a member of Ohio NAELA, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, and hold a BBB A+ accreditation. These reflect a real focus on Medicaid planning, not a firm that dabbles.
We help even when a parent is already in a facility
According to the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s Annual Report, over 984,000 Ohioans received long-term care support in fiscal year 2022. Many of those families started planning after a parent was already admitted, and there are still strategies worth exploring.
Education first, so you decide with clear eyes
Our free workshop explains your options before you commit to anything. Our 5-star reviews reflect families who felt informed, not pressured.
Understanding Your Medicaid Planning Vs. Crisis Planning
Advance planning means acting years before care is needed. This gives the most room to use tools like an irrevocable trust to protect assets over time. Ohio Medicaid imposes a five-year look-back period on asset transfers, meaning certain transfers can trigger a penalty period of ineligibility. Planning early lets that clock run out well before care is needed.
Crisis planning happens at or near admission. Even here, real strategies exist:
- Exempt transfers that Ohio law allows without penalty
- The caregiver child exception for a child who cared for a parent at home
- Certain annuities and spousal protections for a married couple
Your timeline depends on marital status, asset makeup, and how urgent the care need is. A crisis plan moves faster and works within the current situation, while an advance plan preserves more choices. Both are workable with proper guidance.
About Brumbaugh Law Firm
Brumbaugh Law Firm opened in 2002. For more than 23 years, we have helped Ohio families work through the hard parts of aging, long-term care, and protecting what they have built.
We serve families across Northern Ohio, including Ashland County, Erie County, Sandusky, and the surrounding region. About 18.5% of Ashland County’s roughly 53,000 residents are aged 65 or older, pointing to a real and growing need for this kind of help close to home.
Our approach is education first. We explain your options in plain language before you decide anything, including through our free workshop, the 3 Secrets of Estate Planning and Asset Protection. We look at the whole picture, medical, family, and financial, not just the paperwork.
Our Process for Ashland Families
1. Free Educational Start
We begin with a free workshop or a first conversation so you understand your options.
2. Discovery
We listen. We gather the details on your family, your finances, and your parent’s care situation, including the farm.
3. Medicaid Eligibility Review
We look closely at your assets, income, care timeline, and any transfers within the look-back period. This is where farmland gets the careful treatment Ohio law allows.
4. Strategy Development
We design a plan that fits your goals, working to protect assets and pursue Medicaid qualification together, not one at the expense of the other.
5. Plan Presentation
We walk the whole family through the plan in plain language so every decision-maker understands before we move forward.
6. Implementation
We draft and execute the documents, fund any trusts, and complete transfers. Your plan gets finished, not left half-done.
7. Application Support
We guide you through the Ohio Medicaid and Ashland County Job and Family Services application process, step by step.
8. Ongoing Support
Life changes. We stay available as your family’s needs shift.
Frequently Asked Questions About Medicaid Planning
Is it too late to plan if my parent is already in a nursing home in Ohio?
No, it is not too late. Even after a parent has been admitted, Ohio law allows crisis Medicaid planning strategies that can protect a portion of the family’s assets.
Does Medicaid take the family farm in Ohio, or will we have to sell it to pay for care?
Not automatically. Farmland and real property receive specific treatment under Ohio Medicaid rules, and a sale is not always required to qualify a parent for benefits.
What are the Ohio Medicaid asset limits for nursing home care?
An individual applying for Ohio Medicaid long-term care generally must have countable assets at or below $2,000. Some assets are not counted, including a primary home in certain cases and specific property tied to a working farm.
How does the five-year look-back rule work in Ohio?
Ohio reviews five years of financial records before a Medicaid application to check for gifts or transfers made below fair value. Transfers during that window can trigger a penalty period where Medicaid will not pay.
Can I give money or the farm to my children so my parent qualifies for Medicaid?
You can, but doing it without a plan creates penalties under the five-year look-back rule and often creates significant tax issues. Certain transfers are allowed without penalty, and some property can be protected through legal tools rather than an outright gift.
What is spend-down, and how does it work in Ohio nursing home Medicaid?
Spend-down means using a parent’s excess assets on their care or approved expenses until they fall under the Medicaid limit. Not every dollar has to go straight to the nursing home.
What is the community spouse resource allowance if one parent stays home?
When one spouse enters a nursing home and the other stays home, Ohio lets the at-home spouse keep a protected share of the couple’s assets, called the community spouse resource allowance. It exists to prevent the healthy spouse from being left with nothing.
Does Ohio Medicaid take your home after your parent dies?
Ohio has an estate recovery program that may seek repayment from a deceased person’s estate, including the home. There are exceptions and planning strategies that can reduce or avoid this.
How is Medicaid planning different from general estate planning?
General estate planning focuses on passing assets after death. Medicaid planning focuses on qualifying for long-term care benefits while protecting assets during life.
Do I have to drive to Sandusky, and can I afford an attorney on top of nursing home bills?
No long drive is required. Brumbaugh Law Firm offers phone and video consultations, so your first conversation can happen from home. For Medicaid crisis cases, the attorney cost is part of the required Medicaid spenddown.
Local Resources in Ashland, Ohio
- Ashland County Department of Job and Family Services: Handles Medicaid applications, medical assistance, public benefits, and Adult Protective Services for Ashland County residents.
- Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging: Connects Ashland County seniors with PASSPORT, assisted-living waiver programs, caregiver support, transportation, meals, and in-home services.
- Ashland County Council on Aging: Provides transportation, light housekeeping, meals, referrals, and limited legal assistance for residents age 60 and older.
- Ashland County Probate Court: Handles guardianships, estates, trusts, and other probate matters that may overlap with long-term care and Medicaid planning.
- Ashland County Health Department: Maintains local health, insurance, senior-service, housing, and legal-assistance referrals.
- Ashland County Senior Citizens Center: Offers social, educational, recreational, and community programs for adults age 55 and older.
- Ashland Public Transit: Provides transportation throughout Ashland County, including discounted service for eligible seniors and people with disabilities.
- Ashland County Veterans Services: Helps eligible veterans and their families identify and access available benefits that may supplement long-term care planning.
Start Your Medicaid Plan Today
If your parent just entered a nursing home and someone mentioned Medicaid, you may worry the family farm has to be sold. It often is not as hopeless as it feels. Even after a parent is already in care, there are legal strategies worth exploring, and farm assets have their own treatment under Ohio law that a general attorney may not know.
We help Ashland County families by phone and video, so there is no long drive for your first conversation. Our education-first approach means we explain your options before you decide anything.
Call us to schedule a consultation, or register for our free workshop, the 3 Secrets of Estate Planning and Asset Protection. Acting sooner usually keeps more options open, so let’s talk about your situation.
