Will a Life Insurance Policy Affect My Eligibility For Medicaid Benefits?

Many people question if their insurance policy isthe best option for you, although everyone is allowed
considered an asset with regards to Medicaid eligibilityto have a small policy.
guidelines. Not many people understand that this typeFor a single person the guideline for assets is $2,000. It
of insurance is enough to give a complete answer todoes not matter what the death benefit is on the
this question. It is not a simple yes or no answer. Inpolicy, because Medicaid will only be concerned with
fact, depending on the type of insurance you have orthe cash value of a whole-life insurance policy.
the insurance quotes you are getting will determineTherefore, if you're insurance policy has a cash value
your eligibility.of less than $2,000 and you do not have any other
There are two basic types of life-insurance: whole-lifeassets then you are within the acceptable guidelines.
insurance and term-life insurance. Whole-life insuranceIf you own a whole-life insurance policy or you are
provides a set death benefit that your beneficiariesgetting insurance quotes for whole life and you do not
receive when you die. It also builds cash value that canwant to do term insurance, but you are on Medicaid,
be taken out of the policy and used for a variety ofthere is an alternative to consider. You could still get
things with a variety of different plans. It is actuallythe coverage you want with the options that you want
worth money to the person whom it is insuring againstand not have it count as your assets if you made a
their death; therefore it has value and is considered anclose friend or relative the owner of the policy. This is
asset. Unlike whole-life insurance, term-life insurancenot something to be considered lightly because the
does not have any value to the person whom itowner of the policy holds all of the rights to the policy
insures. Term insurance provides insurance in largerfrom that day moving forward, even if you are the
quantities at a locked in premium for a set time, orinsured.
term. There is no cash value therefore no money canAnother alternative if you already have the whole-life
be withdrawn from the policy unless the insured dies.insurance policy with a value greater than you are
Because there is no cash value, term insurance is notpermitted to have, then you can take the cash value
considered an asset.out of the existing policy and convert it. For example,
People obtaining a quote of this type of insuranceyou can either spend it or reinvest it into a new,
often have varying reasons why they prefer aseparate term-life insurance policy.
particular type of coverage over the other. SometimesWhile some insurance policies do count as assets
the customer is unsure of what they need, so theywhich can affect your legibility, it is important to
ask for guidance. If you do this, it is extremelyconsider all the possibilities before making any
important to be very honest with the agent so that hedecisions. Call your insurance agent and ask him or her
or she can accurately provide you with a quote thatto do some insurance quotes. Explain to the agent
would best suit your needs. If you are enrolled inwhat you need, want the policy to do, what you can
Medicaid then term-life insurance would probably beafford and explain your legibility guidelines for Medicaid.