Sometimes people put off applying for Medicaid far longer than they should.

    This can result in far more money being spent paying for long term care privately than was necessary, if Medicaid could have stepped in earlier.

    In some cases, this additional spending is funded with loans from family that the family will never get back.

    In other cases, this spending is funded with assets that could have been saved for the benefit of a spouse or a disabled child.

    In addition, sometimes, while not funded in cash, the extra contribution is funded in blood, tears, sweat, and toil that could have been expended by someone other than family members who often work themselves into ill health before stepping aside and letting Medicaid step in.  In other cases, it is even possible that with proper planning, the family member could have been paid for their services, if an agreement had been reached earlier.

    Further, sometimes significant assets such as a house, which could have been saved for a spouse, a disabled child, or even a care giving child are lost by waiting too long to apply for Medicaid.

    If someone is in need of long term care or expects to be in need of long term care in the foreseeable future, an elder law lawyer should be consulted earlier rather than later, so that some of the more readily foreseeable pitfalls can be avoided - these pitfalls are not always apparent unless one is quite familiar with the intricacies of Medicaid and related matters.