Protect What Matters

Long-Term Care Planning in Belle Plaine, KS

The Plan You Make Today Decides What Your Spouse Keeps Tomorrow

Nearly seven in ten people turning 65 will need some form of long term care. For a Belle Plaine couple, that statistic has a hard edge. If one spouse needs nursing home care at roughly $9,000 a month, the healthy spouse can watch a lifetime of shared savings drain away, one month at a time, with nothing set aside for their own future.

Long term care planning exists to prevent that. Advanced Legal Planning helps Belle Plaine families prepare before care is needed, so a health event for one spouse does not become a financial disaster for the other.

The Assumptions That Leave Families Exposed

Families delay long term care planning because of a few common beliefs, and each one is costly:

Assuming Medicare will cover a long term nursing home stay, when it typically covers only a short, limited period of care
Believing that needing Medicaid means going broke first, when Kansas rules actually leave more room than most families realize
Thinking planning is only for the wealthy, when it is the families with modest savings who have the most to lose
Waiting until a diagnosis forces every decision under pressure, when calm planning ahead protects far more

The families who plan early are the ones who keep the most.

Protection for Both Spouses

Long term care planning has to protect the spouse who needs care and the spouse who stays home, under both Medicaid and tax rules. Mark Galloway, owner of Advanced Legal Planning, LLC, holds dual LL.M. degrees, in Elder Law from the University of Kansas and in Tax from Boston University. That training is what allows Advanced Legal Planning to protect the healthy spouse's security while qualifying the other for the care they need.

You will get an honest assessment of your options, not a one-size fits all pitch.

The 3 Step Medicaid Planning Blueprint

Assess. We review your assets, income, and health outlook, and explain how Kansas Medicaid treats a married couple. Kansas is a medically needy state with no hard income cap, which often works in a couple's favor.

Protect. We put protections in place for both spouses, which may include a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) and spousal strategies. Transfers between spouses are exempt, so Medicaid could not impose a transfer penalty on them, which creates real planning opportunities. Because Medicaid can look back up to five years on other transfers, timing still matters.

Qualify. When care is needed, we guide the Medicaid application so the healthy spouse keeps what the law allows and the ill spouse gets covered.

Learn more on our elder law and Medicaid planning page.

Three Ways Families Pay for Care

Long Term Care Insurance. Valuable when a policy exists. We help you understand what it actually pays.

Private Pay. Full flexibility, but at roughly $9,000 a month, unprotected savings disappear fast, often at the expense of the healthy spouse.

Medicaid. The path most couples use. The goal is to qualify the ill spouse while protecting the one who remains at home.

What Belle Plaine Families Say

"When my husband's health turned, I was terrified I would be left with nothing. Advanced Legal Planning protected our savings and got him the care he needed. I can finally think about my own future again."
— a Belle Plaine spouse

Plan While the Choice Is Still Yours

Belle Plaine families already work with Advanced Legal Planning on Medicaid planning and estate planning. Long term care planning brings those together and adds the spousal protections that matter most when one partner needs care. The earlier you start, the more the law lets you keep.

Ready to protect your home, savings, and family's future? Call Advanced Legal Planning at (316) 252-2233 or schedule a consultation online. Virtual meetings are available upon request.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Medicare pay for long term nursing home care?

Generally no. Medicare typically covers only a short, limited period of skilled care, not an extended nursing home stay. Long term care is usually funded through insurance, private pay, or Medicaid.

Will my spouse be left with nothing if I need nursing home care?

No. Kansas Medicaid rules include protections for the healthy spouse. Because transfers between spouses are exempt, Medicaid could not impose a transfer penalty on them, and additional spousal protections help preserve income and assets for the spouse at home.

When is the right time to start long term care planning?

Before care is needed. Because Medicaid can look back up to five years on certain transfers, the families who plan early have the most options. Even so, crisis planning exists for families who are already facing care.

What is the difference between long term care planning and estate planning?

Estate planning directs what happens to your assets after death. Long term care planning protects those assets during your lifetime from the cost of care. They work best together, and Advanced Legal Planning coordinates both.

Areas We Serve

Advanced Legal Planning serves Belle Plaine and nearby Kansas communities, including Wichita, Rose Hill, Mulvane, Peck, and the surrounding area.

Ready to protect your home, savings, and family's future? Call Advanced Legal Planning at (316) 252-2233 or schedule a consultation online. Virtual meetings available.