This CLE program will examine the legal and tax considerations involved in long-term care planning, Medicaid eligibility, and the preservation and transfer of real estate assets. Topics will include funding long-term care, the Medicaid application process, eligibility requirements, income and asset protection rules, transfer look-back periods, exempt transfers and resources, and Medicaid liens.

The program will also explore the use of trusts and alternative property transfer strategies in Medicaid planning, including revocable and irrevocable trusts, transfer-on-death deeds, life estates, and joint ownership arrangements. Participants will examine the income tax and estate tax implications of these strategies, including grantor trust treatment, capital gains, estate inclusion, and the potential for a step-up in basis. Additional topics will include supplemental needs trusts, retirement assets, the use of pooled income trusts, and planning considerations for individuals who own rental properties.