Watch Out for Unlicensed Medicaid Planners

It has become sadly more common in Florida for unlicensed individuals that have never obtained a law degree to offer Medicaid planning services to senior citizens. These individuals are unqualified and lack the knowledge as well as the skills needed to provide effective Medicaid planning services. Sometimes, senior citizens choose to use these unlicensed planners because they believe it will be cheaper, but many of these individuals charge the same price an attorney would for sub-par work that doesn’t end up helping someone become eligible for Medicaid. In Florida, an individual who is not a lawyer may not provide legal advice regarding qualifying for Medicaid benefits, draft a personal service contract, determine the need for, draft or execute a qualified income trust or sell qualified income trust kits. In Florida, the unlicensed practice of law is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Unlicensed Medicaid planners often give seniors bad advice that causes them to waste their money or take actions that won’t actually help them qualify for Medicaid. If you use an unlicensed Medicaid planner, it is more than likely you will end up having to meet with an attorney to fix the shoddy work that they have done. Additionally, if these Medicaid planners give you advice that is not correct, this could result in a Medicaid penalty period, which means you would have to wait even longer to receive Medicaid benefits. When it comes to planning for Medicaid, it is important to use a trusted legal professional that understands the ins-and-outs of the Medicaid program and will ensure that you are able to qualify for Medicaid. The attorneys of Bach, Jacobs, & Byrne, P.A. have extensive experience in Medicaid planning. To schedule an appointment, contact our office at: 941-906-1231.