Please Medicaid, Medicare information

[Paul Janke]

82 year old widow with less than $500 in assets and a $15,000 credit card bill is getting to where her mind is not what it should be. She should be in assisted living, but none of the kids can afford to pay for it and have not wanted to bother with finding out what options there are. Any of you know what Medicare or Medicaid or external_linkcare will take care of? I don"t like using government assistance but their life choices have not been good and so now those choices are limiting the present choices.

 

[MarkB_MI]

She qualifies for Medicaid, assuming she truly has only 500 in assets. Kids need to start the application process NOW, while looking for places which accept Medicaid. I strongly suggest consulting with a lawyer who specializes in "elder law".

 

[Billy Shafer]

Best thing is to contact a nursing home where she lives. Rules change from state to state.

 

[Dieselbreath]

Medicaid varies from state to state but in Oregon we eventually had to put my mother-in-law who had alzheimers in assisted living. In order to qualify for medicaid (which paid for everything) she had to have no assets other than some personal items like a tv and bed and a prepaid burial plan. And she had to assign her social security to medicaid also. If she truly has just $500 in assets she should have no problem. If she owns her home that"s a problem. The people there should be able to help you.
Don"t know anything about Medicare but doubt if that would be of any help.
Good luck.

 

[ss55]

Things like that are often administered at the county level, contact your county. Churches often have members in that same situation, your church may know who to contact.

 

[John T]

While I practice in the area of probate and estate planning, I do NOT consider myself as a Medicare or Medicaid specialist. I do advise and counsel clients as to how to prepare for some government benefits which basically involves spend down and asset liquidation five years prior to nursing home but who knows when that will be??? Essentially when you get old you dont want to own assets which bill collectors or nursing homes or hospitals can obtain a lien against, so if you want your kids to have things its best to consult an Elder Law specialist and NOT the day before the nursing home stay!!! IE give things to them before you get too old or too sick, subject to tax consequences coupled with the advantages or disadvantages of government benefits.

Long term care insurance can be good for some clients also.

The thing is EVERY PERSONS ESTATE PLAN IS DIFFERENT. I have done many many small estate plans AND NO TWO ARE ALIKE. It depends on the facts and the wants and needs and assets of the clients. There IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL PLAN.

It appears the 82 year old is bankrupt and doesn"t own assets which anyone can attach (can still get a lien) and she may well qualify for government benefits (cant say not having all the facts) but someone needs to get the ball rolling

CONSULT AN ELDER LAW ATTORNEY and whatever you do DO NOT rely on advice from lay persons or even attorneys on a tractor forum. Elder law and Medicare and Medicaid are very specialized and what worked for some Billy Bob on here may be the exact opposite of whats best for the lady in question

John T Attorney at Law

 

[504]

And just tell the credit card company to pound sand.

 

[S Russell (TX)]

John T is most correct. MY late father, we live in Texas, had to use his own dime in the home after his stroke until the assets were severly depleted.
Consult an attorney. If the person has a car, rules apply. My father could keep his home, but laws change, he was grandfathered on that, but now we would have had to sell the home after his death to pay medicaid back.
The attorneys fee is nothing compared to mistakes one can make trying to save a dime. Also it is permissable to spend the patients money on a preneeds burial policy, this reduces the assets, and will be needed at a future date.

 

[LAA]

Any nursing home ought to be able to sign her up on whatever she will be entitled to, all those homes have people who keep up to snuff how much they can charge the government and they will know how much of her S.S. she can keep per month. If she only has $500.00 in assets thats the same as having nothing so it should not take anything but a phone call.

 

[Wile E]

I think she qualifies for Medicaid.....Which what the poor folks in the city are on.
Is it possible for one of the children to take her in, the payment for this would be monthy SSI check.
I interviewed at a nursing home 10 years ago for a maintenance supervisor position, (I walked out of the interview after I saw what a nightmare the place was) I also made sure that I would never have my parents in a nursing home. The most sorrowful place I have ever seen, old people that cannot walk, the rooms were small hospital rooms with a nurse station down the hall. I would rather be dead that stay there.

 

[EricInSEI]

A couple of years ago I had Surgery for colon cancer and things didn't go as well as the doctors hoped. I ended up in a nursing home near the hospital for 10 weeks recovering. It was nicer than any college dorm I ever lived in, and the food was reasonably good. And Indiana Medicaid paid for it. I am now on disability because of the effects of the chemo. I was applying for and thought I was about to get a job in Asia when I was diagnosed. I am starting to look into that possibility again, SSD doesn't pay much.

My Mom spent her last 2 years at the Alois Alsheimer Center in Green Hills, OH (Cincinnati). Medicare paid some, P&G paid some, and Mom paid over $6,000 per month. It was a very nice facility.

 

[JMS/.MN]

And who do you think is paying for that?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

There is government housing available for poor people with no assests. Start with section 8. There are senior centers that your rent is determined by your income. Many places like that in Terre Haute.