ANCHORAGE ESTATE PLANNING COUNCIL

Medicaid’s Resource and Transfer of Asset Provisions
As our clients age or develop chronic illnesses, they may become concerned about the costs of
long term care, particularly in Alaska where the average cost of skilled nursing care exceeds
$25,000 per month and assisted living homes charge $5,000 or more per month. Medicaid is the
government program that assists with long term care expenses after any Medicare benefits are
exhausted. There are three prongs of Medicaid eligibility: 1. Medical level of care eligibility, 2.
Resource eligibility, and 3. Income eligibility. While some clients are familiar with Miller Trusts
which can provide income eligibility, they are less familiar with Medicaid rules about what
assets are resources for purposes of financial eligibility and how the five-year look-back for
transfers of assets operates. This presentation will provide an overview of these provisions so
that you as planning professionals can better assist your clients as they age.

Amrit Kaur Khalsa is the owner of the Law Office of Amrit Kaur Khalsa. Since 1986, she
has concentrated her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, guardianship
and elder law issues, including disability and long-term care planning, Medicaid, and
Medicare. Ms. Khalsa has spoken at seminars for the Alaska Bar Association and other
professional and community organizations on these topics. Ms. Khalsa is a member of
the Anchorage Estate Planning Council; the Estate Planning and Probate Section and
the Elder Law Section of the Alaska Bar Association; the American Bar Association
Real Property, Probate, and Trusts Law Section and Business Law Section; and the
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. A resident of Anchorage since 1967, Ms.
Khalsa received her undergraduate degree in Philosophy with highest honors from
Spring Hill College and her law degree with honors from Gonzaga University School of
Law.