Oct. 18, 2011
Advisory Opinion Answers Questions About Non-Attorneys’ Medicaid Activities
An advisory opinion recently issued by the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law of the Supreme Court of Ohio outlines the activities non-attorneys can and cannot engage in concerning Medicaid benefits.
According to Opinion UPL 11-01, non-attorneys may review documents, prepare and file Medicaid applications and attend state hearings on behalf of an individual “to the extent that those activities are authorized by federal law.”
The opinion draws the line for non-attorneys at performing “Medicaid planning” for current and prospective nursing-home patients and/or their families regarding qualification for Medicaid benefits “if it requires specialized legal training, skill, and experience.”
The opinion clarifies this point further.
“Medicaid planning, which consists of arranging assets and income to meet Medicaid eligibility requirements, is outside the scope of the non-attorney assistance permitted by federal law. State regulation of Medicaid planning is therefore not preempted by federal law. In many cases, Medicaid planning involves estate work and legal expertise. Accordingly, the board further concludes that the establishment of a Medicaid planning strategy for another by a non-attorney constitutes the unauthorized practice of law.”
A copy of the opinion is available at: http://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/Boards/UPL/advisory_opinions/UPLAdvOp_11_01.pdf.
Advisory Opinions of the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law are informal and nonbinding pursuant to Gov. Bar R. VII(2) and issued in response to prospective or hypothetical questions submitted by unauthorized-practice-of-law committees of local or state bar associations, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel, or the Attorney General.
Contact: Minerva Elizaga at 614.387.9318 or Chris Davey 614.387.9250.