Medicaid Looks Five Years Back. Your Plan Should Look Ahead.
In one free 30‑minute Family Care Plan Review, a licensed long-term care specialist explains how Medicaid spend-down and the look-back period work, then compares traditional, hybrid, and annuity-based coverage that can protect your savings, side by side for your age, health, and budget.
And you’ll see why a gift to your children today could delay Medicaid coverage later,1 and why a single person in Florida can generally keep only $2,000 in countable assets to qualify.2
Claim my free 30-minute reviewFree. No obligation. A licensed professional responds within 1 business day.
- 45+ years in long-term care insurance
- CLTC® & LTCP designations
- Genworth BGA partner, 2000–2016
- Florida DFS approved CE instructor
Medicaid pays for most long-term care, but usually only after your savings are gone
Medicaid paid 61% of all long-term care spending in the U.S. in 2023.3
To qualify for Medicaid long-term care in Florida, a single applicant can generally have no more than $2,000 in countable assets.2 That’s why many families have to spend down savings before Medicaid helps.
Medicaid is a safety net. It isn’t a plan for protecting what you’ve saved.
And you can’t simply give assets away right before you apply. Medicaid reviews transfers made in the 60 months before your application.1,2
The Medicaid numbers every family should know
Before you count on Medicaid, know the rules:
Four Medicaid myths that cost families
- “I’ll just give it to the kids.” Gifts made within the look-back period can trigger a penalty period. The months of ineligibility equal the amount given away divided by the state’s average monthly private-pay nursing home cost.5
- “Medicare will cover it first.” Medicare pays for short-term skilled care after a hospital stay, not ongoing custodial care.6 See what Medicare covers.
- “Medicaid will pay for the care I want.” Medicaid pays providers that accept Medicaid, which can narrow your choices about where and how you get care.
- “It’s too late to plan.” If you’re in reasonably good health, insurance may still be an option, and the earlier you look, the more paths stay open.
Long-term care insurance works the other way around: it pays for care so your savings don’t have to go first. For legal questions about Medicaid planning, talk with an elder law attorney.
The Three-Path Comparison: every type of coverage, side by side, in one conversation
Instead of one product from one company, your Family Care Plan Review looks at all three ways to pay for care. We compare them across insurers for your age, health, and budget, then show you the trade-offs in plain English.
Path 1: Traditional long-term care insurance
Medically underwritten coverage that pays a daily or monthly benefit once you need help with daily activities.
Often the most coverage for the premium for healthy applicants 45 to 65.
How it’s underwritten →Path 2: Hybrid (asset-based) coverage
Life insurance with a long-term care benefit. If you never need care, the death benefit still goes to your family.
Popular with couples who want their money to work either way.
How it’s underwritten →Path 3: Annuity care
A deferred annuity paired with long-term care benefits that can be larger than the deposit, often funded from existing savings.
An option to explore when health makes other coverage harder to get.
How it’s underwritten →More than four decades of helping families plan for care
George A. Mellendorf founded Central States Insurance Services in Ft. Myers in 1981. It grew into a national long-term care insurance brokerage, and from 2000 to 2016 it served as a Brokerage General Agent for Genworth, at the time one of the largest long-term care insurers in the country.
- CLTC (Certified in Long-Term Care) and LTCP (Long-Term Care Professional) designations
- Approved continuing-education instructor on the Florida Department of Financial Services registry (Instructor ID #737925), teaching other licensed agents
- Florida licensed insurance agent, License # A175981. Verify the license
“When I first started in the ‘nursing home insurance’ business in 1981, the average age was 74. Today we are down to the mid-50s and early 60s.”
George A. Mellendorf · Read his story
Thirty minutes from now, you could know exactly where you stand
- Peace of mind for your children. A plan that keeps them in the role of family, not full-time caregiver.
- A clear answer to “what would it cost us?” Real numbers for your age and health, not a generic rate sheet.
- Confidence you didn’t overpay. In 2026, the highest price for virtually identical coverage was 56% above the lowest.7 Comparing is how you avoid that gap.
- Your savings and home protected from being drained by years of care costs.
- Choices about where you get care, at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home.
- A decision made calmly, on your schedule, instead of in a hospital hallway after a diagnosis.
Your free Family Care Plan Review
A 30-minute conversation with a licensed long-term care specialist. Even if you never buy a policy, you’ll leave knowing your options, what they cost, and what to ask.
- The review
Your Three-Path Comparison
Traditional, hybrid, and annuity-based coverage compared across insurers for your age, health, and budget, with the trade-offs explained in plain English.
Bonus 1Long-Term Care Insurance Buyer’s Guide
The three coverage types, the riders worth paying for, how underwriting sets your rate, and how to compare quotes side by side.
Bonus 2LTC Policy Checklist & Financial Workbook
Fill it in before your review so you know your budget, your assets, and the questions to ask.
Bonus 3Long-Term Care Tax Guide
How long-term care premiums may be tax-deductible, so you can factor that into the real cost.
No cost and no obligation to buy anything.
Your health today sets your options tomorrow
Long-term care insurance is medically underwritten. Insurers look at your age and health on the day you apply.
That means the best time to compare is while you’re healthy. A new diagnosis, a fall, or a change in medications can raise the price or rule out some options entirely, and every birthday moves you into an older rate band.
Spring, while you’re gathering documents for tax season, is a natural time to look at the whole picture. The review takes 30 minutes; waiting can cost far more.
Free to compare. Free to say no. Protected if you say yes.
The review costs nothing, and you’re never under any obligation to buy.
If you do choose a policy, Florida law gives individual long-term care insurance policyholders 30 days after delivery to review it and return it for a full premium refund, for any reason.9
Four simple steps, and you’re in control at every one
- Send the short formName, contact details, and a few quick questions. About two minutes.
- We call to scheduleA licensed specialist contacts you within 1 business day to pick a time that works.
- Your 30-minute reviewBy phone. We go over your goals, health, and budget, and compare all three paths.
- You decideTake the side-by-side comparison home, talk it over with family, and choose, or don’t.
Prefer to talk now? Call (239) 218-7309.
Before you request your review
Is the review really free? What’s the catch?
Yes, it’s free and there’s no obligation. You’ll get a side-by-side comparison you can keep, whether or not you buy anything.
Will I be pressured to buy?
No. The goal of the review is for you to understand your options. Many people take the comparison home and talk it over with their family first.
What is the Medicaid look-back period?
When you apply for Medicaid long-term care, the state reviews asset transfers made in the previous 60 months. Transfers for less than fair market value can lead to a period when Medicaid won’t pay for care.1,5
Can I give money to my children before applying for Medicaid?
Gifts within the look-back period can delay eligibility. The rules have exceptions, so talk with an elder law attorney before moving assets.
Do you help with Medicaid applications?
No. We’re long-term care insurance specialists. We can show you how coverage could protect your savings; for Medicaid applications and legal planning, an elder law attorney is the right resource.
I already have a chronic condition. Can I still get coverage?
It depends on the condition and how well it’s managed. Each insurer underwrites differently, which is exactly why comparing matters. Some hybrid and annuity-based options use simplified underwriting. Final eligibility is always decided by the insurer.
What does long-term care insurance cost?
It depends on your age, health, and the benefits you choose. As one benchmark, in 2026 a couple both age 55 paid an average of about $5,010 a year combined for $165,000 in initial benefits each.7 Your review shows real numbers for you.
Is Funding LTC Marketplace an insurance company?
No. We’re a marketplace and advisory service operated by Central States Insurance Services, Inc. We compare coverage from insurers; the insurer issues the policy and makes the underwriting decision.
Can my adult children join the call?
Yes, and many families find that helpful. Just let us know when we schedule.
P.S.
P.S. Here’s the short version. In one free 30-minute Family Care Plan Review, a licensed specialist compares traditional, hybrid, and annuity-based coverage side by side for you, and you get three free planning guides.
Medicaid looks five years back. The best plans look ahead. Start yours this spring, while all three paths are still open to you.
Sources
- CMS: Deficit Reduction Act transfer of assets provisions (60-month look-back)
- Florida DCF: SSI-Related Medicaid Program Fact Sheet
- KFF: 5 Key Facts about Medicaid’s Share of National Health Spending
- CareScout: 2025 Cost of Care Data for Florida
- Medicaid.gov: State Medicaid Director Letter 18-004 (transfer penalty)
- Medicare.gov: Long-term care coverage
- AALTCI 2026 Long-Term Care Insurance Price Index
- CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey
- Florida Department of Financial Services: Long-Term Care Overview (30-day free look)
Funding LTC Marketplace is operated by Central States Insurance Services, Inc., Ft. Myers, FL. George A. Mellendorf, CLTC, Florida licensed insurance agent, License # A175981, NPN # 538220. Verify at licenseesearch.fldfs.com/Licensee/211790. This is not an offer of insurance. Coverage, rates, and eligibility are determined by the issuing carrier through underwriting. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare or any government agency. Educational content only, not medical, legal, tax, or financial advice.