Georgia Long-Term Care

Federal Partnership Program

The State of Georgia participates in the federal/state partnership program authorized by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005. The Long-Term Care Partnership Program is administered by the Department of Community Health in collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Department of Human Resources, Division of Aging Services. Georgia Long-Term Care Partnership policies provide an alternative to spending down or transferring assets by forming a partnership between Medicaid and private long-term care insurers.

This public-private partnership creates an innovative program offering consumers access to quality, affordable long-term care insurance and a way to receive needed care without depleting all their assets. Georgia Partnership Long-Term Care policies provide Medicaid asset protection. For every dollar that a partnership policy pays out in benefits, a dollar of assets can be protected (disregarded) from the long-term care Medicaid asset limit. The protected assets will also be exempted from Estate Recovery in the amount equal to the benefits paid by the partnership policy.

Once private insurance benefits are used, special Medicaid eligibility rules are applied if additional coverage is necessary. This dollar-for-dollar asset protection makes sure you never exhaust all your assets no matter how long your care situation lasts.

Policy Example

For example, if your policy pays, let say $400,000 in benefits when it exhausts, you would get $400,000 in asset disregard. This means you would be able to retain $400,000 in addition to the normal allowance and still access Medicaid’s Long-Term Care benefit.

Reciprocity

Most states have reciprocity with other states' long-term-care partnership programs including Georgia. This means if you move from or to Georgia your partnership asset protection follows you as well. 

Medicaid

Long-Term Care Medicaid spend down is $2,000. A spouse’s minimum asset allowance is $130,380. Your spouse’s minimum monthly income allowance is $3,259.50 * The home equity limit is $603,000.

For more information about the Medicaid program visit www.medicaid.gov

Rate Stability Rules

In addition, Georgia consumers enjoy additional peace-of-mind as the state has adopted Long-Term Care Insurance Rate Stability Rules.  These rules, developed the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, makes it much harder for an insurance company to get an approved rate increase.

Products Approved in Georgia

There are several products approved in Georgia for Long-Term Care planning. These include traditional plans including partnership certified policies,  asset-based “hybrid” plans, and short-duration plans.

Tax Incentives

There are no current state tax incentives available at this time; federal tax incentives do apply.

_{*The federal government sets a new minimum and maximum amounts each year, but states can set their own minimum requirements at any level between the federal limits. This information is based on the best available sources.}