Medicaid Mastery: Empowering attorneys with comprehensive planning tools

Ethan A. Welch | Hickman Lowder Lidrbauch & Welch Co., L.P.A.

Attorney Ethan A. Welch is committed to helping families with vulnerable loved ones preserve their resources and plan for the years ahead. His primary areas of focus are elder law, Medicaid planning, and special needs planning. He also practices in the associated areas of estate planning, trust and estate administration, and probate. Ethan’s extensive knowledge of elder law and special needs planning ensures that his clients’ rights are protected. His compassion and understanding bring his clients peace of mind, and his experience guides them in finding unique solutions as they plan for their future.

Ethan is a member of The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association. He is also a board member and the Treasurer of Council Gardens, an affordable senior housing facility located in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He finds his work with this organization very rewarding and feels privileged to serve older adults in our community. Ethan graduated magna cum laude from Bowling Green State University and received his law degree from Ohio Northern University.

Ethan, his wife and two daughters live in Brecksville, Ohio. Avid sports fans, they enjoy cheering on all Cleveland area teams and exploring the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Thomas J. McKinnon | Cushing & Dolan, P.C.

Attorney Thomas J. McKinnon is an associate in the Elder Law Group of Cushing & Dolan, P.C.’s Estate Planning department. In his capacity, Thomas is responsible for assisting clients in preparing long-term care applications and long-term care asset protection planning using various tools such as Pooled Trusts and Annuities. Thomas is also responsible for drafting a variety of estate planning documents, including revocable trusts, Medicaid Irrevocable trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts, Wills, deeds, and incapacity documents.

Thomas earned his J.D. from New England Law | Boston in 2014 with a concentration in intellectual property. He graduated from Stonehill College in 2011 with a B.A. in Political Science. While in law school, Thomas was a member of the Intellectual Property Law Association and concentrated in US intellectual property and entertainment law.

Areas of practice: Elder Law, Estate Planning

Session I – The Mystery of Long-Term Care Medicaid | 11:00am – 1:10pm

• Types of long-term care Medicaid and eligibility limits
• Techniques used to become eligible

Break | 12:00pm – 12:10pm

• Medicaid estate recovery
• Planning for future Medicaid eligibility

Break | 1:10pm – 1:20pm

Session II – Last Minute Medicaid Techniques: Come learn how to | 1:20pm – 3:30pm

• Protect the primary residence for married and single folks
• Make countable rental property non-countable
• Make countable vacation property non-countable
• Protect life insurance policies (whole life vs. term life)
• Protect excess resources through Medicaid annuities and the return of the half-a-loaf technique

Break | 2:20pm – 2:30pm

• Differentiate Countable vs. non-countable assets
• Deal with the caretaker child exception, related rules, and recent fair hearing decisions
• Medicaid liens operate and how they can actually be a good thing
• The five year look back period operates and related exceptions vs. the penalty period
• Special needs trusts and sole benefit trusts operations
• Get a family worth $2 million eligible for Medicaid last minute when one spouse gets sick