Medicaid Planning & Elder Law Lawyer in Troy, MI

Why do Troy families need to plan for nursing home costs?

Because the cost is large and the rules punish late moves. A Michigan nursing home costs about $135,050 a year for a semi-private room, according to CareScout's 2025 Cost of Care Survey. Medicare stops paying after a short rehab stay.

Almost 18% of Troy residents are 65 or older, and the median household income is about $120,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many Troy, Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham couples have done well: a paid-off home, an IRA or 401(k), a brokerage account. Michigan Medicaid counts most of that. An individual applicant can have no more than $2,000 in countable assets, and accounts in the healthy spouse's name are counted too.

That's why a Troy family's question usually isn't "will Dad qualify?" It's "how much will Mom have left to live on?" Planning answers that question before the money is spent, not after.

What does Medicaid planning at Rutkowski Law Firm include?

It means the plan gets built and the paperwork gets filed for you. We work out what's countable and what's exempt, build the protection plan, record the deeds, file the Michigan Medicaid application and answer the state's follow-up requests until there's a decision.

Depending on your timeline, the plan can include:

• A Medicaid Asset Protection Trust, which starts the five-year look-back clock now so savings are protected later. How a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust works.
• A Lady Bird deed on the house, recorded with the Oakland County Register of Deeds. What a Lady Bird deed does.
• A spend-down plan that uses money on things Medicaid allows rather than losing it to the nursing home bill. How spend-down works in Michigan.
• The application itself. We file it, handle the mailings and requests for documents from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and help with the yearly renewal once your parent is approved.

If you need a nursing home with a Medicaid bed available, we help find one and coordinate the tours. For the full rules, see Michigan Medicaid eligibility.

What if a parent is already in the hospital or a nursing home?

Call us, and don't move any money first. Even when a parent already needs care, crisis planning can often still protect part of the savings. The earlier we start, the more options there are.

The usual pattern in Troy starts with a fall or a stroke, a stay at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, then a move to rehab. Medicare covers up to 100 days of rehab after a qualifying hospital stay, with only the first 20 fully covered. After that, families are paying privately, often around $11,000 a month, while they work out what happens next.

Rutkowski Law Firm has turned around emergency powers of attorney by the next day, with a notary sent to the hospital or care facility. When a parent has already been in a facility for more than 30 days, we can file with a retroactive request so benefits start as early as the rules allow. Read more about Medicaid crisis planning.

What happens to the spouse who stays at home?

The spouse at home keeps the house and a protected share of the couple's savings. Michigan lets the community spouse keep assets up to the Community Spouse Resource Allowance, plus a monthly income allowance, so they aren't left without enough to live on.

The house is generally exempt while a spouse lives there. The risk comes later. After both spouses have died, Michigan's estate recovery program can seek repayment from the estate for what Medicaid paid. A Lady Bird deed or the right trust, set up in time, keeps the house out of estate recovery and out of probate.

The allowance figures change every year. We'll work through your actual numbers at your first meeting. Current Michigan asset limits and allowances.

What elder law help does the Troy office offer?

Elder law at Rutkowski Law Firm means planning for care: Medicaid, long-term care, guardianship, powers of attorney and veterans benefits. We don't handle nursing home abuse or neglect litigation.

• Powers of attorney. If your parent can still understand and sign, a durable power of attorney is usually faster and keeps the family out of court.
• Guardianship and conservatorship. If a parent can no longer make decisions and there's no power of attorney, we handle guardianship and conservatorship through the Oakland County Probate Court in Pontiac. Our fee includes ongoing guidance and a yearly check-in.
• Veterans benefits. We help veterans and surviving spouses coordinate VA Aid and Attendance with Medicaid so the two programs work together.

Who will we work with?

Founding attorney Michael L. Rutkowski leads the Medicaid team. Yizzy Yehudah, a Certified Medicaid Planner, started her career as a state Medicaid caseworker and later represented the state in hearings and appeals, so she reads an application the way a caseworker will.

Your first conversation is with Chris Pletkovic or Josh Heppner from our Customer Success team. They'll ask what's happening with your parent and what you're trying to protect, then lay out the options that fit and the fee for each, before you decide anything. From there:

1. Strategy meeting. We confirm the plan and tell you which documents we need.
2. Placement and paperwork. If your parent needs a facility, we help find a Medicaid bed while we gather the records.
3. Application. We file with MDHHS, with a retroactive request if it applies.
4. Decision. MDHHS has 45 days to respond. We handle the letters and requests in between, explain the decision and guide you through the yearly renewal.

Schedule a call with our team, or call the Troy office at (248) 951-9446.

Can we meet at the Troy office?

Yes, by appointment. The office is at 801 W. Big Beaver Road, Suite 600. Park in the spaces marked with blue and white Rutkowski Law Firm "Welcome, Reserved" signs, then call (248) 792-9193 from the lobby and we'll bring you up to the sixth floor.

Adult children who live out of town can join any meeting by video, so everyone hears the same plan at the same time. If it's easier, you can meet at our Rochester office on East Street, or do every meeting by secure video. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the phones are answered 24 hours a day.

Which communities does the Troy office serve?

The Troy office helps families in Troy, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Royal Oak, Clawson and West Bloomfield, and anywhere in Michigan by video. Guardianship and estate matters for these communities go through the Oakland County Probate Court in Pontiac.

See the Troy office page for directions, or read about Michigan Medicaid planning at Rutkowski Law Firm.