Broward Attorney Warns: Medicaid Planning Needs a 5-Year Head Start

Broward Elder Law Attorney Warns: Medicaid Planning Must Begin Years Before a Nursing Home Crisis — Not After

Cooper City, United States – April 28, 2026 / Mark Mastrarrigo, PA /

Broward Elder Law Attorney Warns: Medicaid Planning Must Begin Years Before a Nursing Home Crisis — Not After

Mark Mastrarrigo P.A. issues consumer alert as Broward County nursing home costs surpass $10,000 per month

COOPER CITY, Fla., April 27, 2026 — Mark Mastrarrigo P.A., a Cooper City estate planning and elder law firm serving Broward County, today issued a consumer alert warning South Florida seniors and their families that Florida Medicaid’s 5-year look-back rule makes advance planning essential — and that families who wait until a nursing home crisis to seek legal help have often already lost their most powerful options.

With nursing home care in Broward County now exceeding $10,000 per month, a two-year stay can cost more than $240,000. Florida Medicaid covers long-term nursing home care — but only for applicants who meet strict asset and income requirements, and only if asset transfers were completed well outside the program’s 60-month review window.

The 5-Year Look-Back: What Most Families Don’t Know

Florida Medicaid reviews all asset transfers made within 60 months before an application. Gifts to children, transfers into trusts, or any transfer below fair market value within that window can trigger a disqualification period — during which Medicaid will not pay, and the family covers the full nursing home bill out of pocket.

“The families I can help the most are the ones who call me five or more years before they think they’ll need it,” said Mark Mastrarrigo, founder of Mark Mastrarrigo P.A. “The families who call me after a parent is already in a nursing home still have options — but we’re working with a much smaller toolkit and often racing the clock.”

What Medicaid Counts — and What It Doesn’t

A single applicant must have no more than $2,000 in countable assets to qualify. Exempt assets — including the primary home (if the applicant intends to return or a spouse remains), one vehicle, and personal belongings — do not count toward that limit. But bank accounts, investment accounts, and most retirement funds do.

For middle-class Broward County families, that gap is significant. Without a plan, it is paid to the nursing home.

The Solution: Medicaid Asset Protection Trust

The primary tool for families with time to plan is a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) — an irrevocable trust that holds assets outside the applicant’s ownership. Once assets have been in the trust for five years before a Medicaid application, they are fully protected from spend-down requirements.

A paid-off Pembroke Pines home worth $450,000 placed in a MAPT today, with no nursing home need for five years, can be preserved entirely for the next generation.

Married couples have additional protections under Florida law. The Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) permits the healthy spouse to retain approximately $154,140 in countable assets, and the Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) protects monthly income — preventing the at-home spouse from being financially impoverished while their partner receives nursing home care.

Crisis Planning: Options Still Exist

For families already facing a nursing home admission, Mastrarrigo notes that legal options — while more limited — are not exhausted. Spend-down strategies using exempt asset categories, Qualified Income Trusts for income-cap issues, and structured annuity arrangements can reduce the out-of-pocket period before Medicaid eligibility is established.

“Even in a crisis, there is almost always something we can do,” Mastrarrigo said. “The goal is to protect as much as possible given the time we have.”

Mark Mastrarrigo P.A. has published a detailed consumer guide to Medicaid planning for Broward County families at markmlegal.com/elder-law/medicaid-planning.

About Mark Mastrarrigo P.A.

Mark Mastrarrigo P.A. is an estate planning and elder law firm located in Cooper City, Florida, serving clients throughout Broward County including Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood, Davie, Weston, Plantation, Fort Lauderdale, and surrounding communities. Founded by Mark Mastrarrigo, a member of The Florida Bar with over 27 years of experience, the firm provides estate planning, Medicaid planning, elder law, probate administration, guardianship, wills and trusts, and real estate legal services. More information is available at markmlegal.com.

Media Contact:

Mark Mastrarrigo P.A.

Cooper City, Florida

(954) 820-8535

markmlegal.com