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I have absolutely no idea what happens if, as an example, the disabled spouse gets $1,000 a month in SS and the non-disabled spouse gets $500 a month in SS. Obviously, they must have been living on $1,500, a month for the two of them, before the disabled spouse needed nursing home care so I do not know what happens in that case. I would guess that they do some type of calculation that figures out the amount that the non-disabled person needs to pay for rent & utilities, plus adding money needed for food, insurance, and other essentials. Of course, that is just a wild guess. Now, I'm curious. Does anyone know?
While some of my/our expenses went down when Hubby went into a nursing home (like his share of the food) most of my big expenses are exactly the same (rent & utilities, renters insurance, car expenses, car repairs, my health insurance, my food costs, etc).
I can speak to how it was in my dad's case. SS continued for each of my parents, as well as a small monthly retirement military check for my dad. Part of the process was that we had to set up a new checking account at our bank. This account was in my mom's name, with me and my sister also on the account as owners. I paid their bills from this new account. Each month Medicaid was sent a copy of the bank statement as part of the qualifying process. They allowed my dad $60.00 each month for his personal allowance. In his case, that $60 was deposited back into the new account. (I did deposit a small amount into the Nursing facility account for incidentals, haircut, soda, snacks, etc. that he might purchase at the facility. I think he got a couple of haircuts but that was all. He was in a memory unit and didn't need much else.)
Medicaid has strict rules and procedures on how they do things, and our elder care paralegal guided us through the entire process. If you have any savings accounts, for example, they will have you close those and transfer the funds into the checking account. My parents had a savings account with a small amount (around $2500.00) so that was transferred into the new checking account.
Again, the total amount of their combined SS deposits and any other retirement income sources must be at or below the maximum allowed (roughly $2300.00). After several months of doing this, and sending in copies of the account statements to Medicaid, they monitor your financials accordingly and use that to qualify for Medicaid.
If, for example, my mom had already passed and it had only been my dad, his SS and other retirement income would have gone straight to Medicaid to partially cover the cost of his room at the facility. That would have left the home, vehicle, possessions, etc.
During this time while he was in the nursing facility, we had a "ladybird deed" drawn up on the home. The nursing facility had a Notary Public, and while visiting my dad one day, my mom and dad were both able to sign before the Notary Public the ladybird deed. Google "ladybird deed" for more information.
Hopefully this makes sense and explains some of what you were wondering. This was in 2015 so I'm not up to date on the changes that may have taken place to Medicaid since then.
Yes they DO!! And that is what makes me soo very angry.
To go on Medicaid, one must spend down everything, including all Life Insurance Policies, 401k's; their homes (if they're alone); etc. One must spend down to $2000.00.
After that, the govt gives you $45.00 for your needs. It used to be $80; then it was $60; and now it's $45??!
Good Heavens!!
Medicaid can go back 5 years. Anything given to your families before that time is considered a "Divestment" and supposedly something you can't do.
My dad is currently living in a nursing facility and he and my mom saved and saved for many years. Their plan was to leave my sister and I a bunch to live off from; as many parents do.
Instead, all the life insurance policies; stocks; and any money our parents had put aside HAS to be spent for our dad's wellbeing. He needs nothing, so it all went towards his medical care.
The paperwork for someone to go on Medicaid is immense!! They want every single receipt so that they know what the money was spent on. Imagine having over $100,000 worth of Life Insurance policies, stocks, savings, etc., and trying to spend that all down.
Easy enough when they're living in a facility that charges $6000 a month for their care. Of course we don't want our parents to spend their entire life savings on medical expenses, so us, as their children buy them things like nice electric razors, etc. With nothing more that they need, most of it goes to their medical care.
How depressing to think about how hard parent's saved throughout their lifetimes; only to find out that they can't give a single dime to their children anymore.
The sad thing is, my Dad couldn't even invest money into a saving's account for his new great grandson as it would be considered again, a Divestment.
What is our govt coming to, being so darned selfish that they have to squeeze every dime out of the elderly; the people that worked hard all their lives; and many of them fighting for out country. Ugh..it makes me more than sad!!
Oh brother! Welcome to the real world. These Medicaid laws have been around for decades. My grandmother went to a medicaid facility in the early 70's.
What your parents saved should be for them to take care of themselves. Not for you. Don't worry daddy will die soon. Maybe you'll get lucky and it'll be sooner than later and then you can get whats left. Then you don't have to be 'soooo very angry.' Your words not mine.
Why do so many people think the government somehow magically makes money? It doesn't. The government has no money that hasn't been taken from someone's pocket.
If people have worked their whole lives and saved money for their old age, that's wonderful. They were smart to plan ahead. There's no reason why that money shouldn't go to pay for their care, rather than expect me and all the other taxpayers to pay so that their heirs can have an inheritance. I'm sorry the money has to go for Mom and Dad's care rather than for your wedding or your grandson's college fund, but it's THEIR money so it should be spent on THEM before you ask to take it from my pocket.
It may not be nice, but how is it fair that I should have to pay for someone's poor planning?
You keep on bringing this up. I pay taxes too. I have paid them for decades and will continue to pay them even when I retire. So will everyone else. As for poor planning, you are off base about that. It is actually the opposite I'm talking about. It's people that have planned and saved that are getting the shaft when Medicaid impoverishes a healthy spouse to the point of only leaving them an unrealistic amount of 2K in savings to fall back on. If a couple has saved and planned for old age and one gets sick and the other one lives for 20 more years, that 2K isn't going to be any help to the healthy spouse.
Last edited by Sweet*Tea; 06-12-2017 at 01:06 AM..
Hubs & I can afford a great NH is we need it. We have saved & I have a large life insurance/ltc policy that will pay up to $8,000 per month for me. (If not used the life insurance will pay out upon my death.)
We bought a one story to age out at home, if possible. With separate quarters for nurses.
We take care of ourselves. I have heirs/charities I'd like to leave money to also. BUT this money is for our care, not to make them rich.
You people who want to hide money for your entitled offspring, do you realize the hell hole you will be going into in a medicaid facility. If there's room. They smell like urine and crap. You'll be in a separate wing from those who can afford it.
limited nurses, your lifespan will be shortened as you will be last one on the list of whom will get taken care of. Many medicaid facilities are full, and you have to wait. Also while they do your background check. They could careless whether you should go in immediately.
Not having the money is one thing. Being a greedy jerk and passing it on to your entitled offspring so you can qualify for medicaid is another. But the later will get their just rewards when they lay in their dirty diapers all day, cause the care sucks. And the offspring is too busy to come see you. Seen it.
Healthcare should be a right. Don't mind tax dollars going for that. Being born with issues is a roll of the dice. But for the grace of God go I.
Passing money on so your special snowflakes can have an easier life, while you suck up tax dollars laying in your own crap. I do care about paying for. But its kind of Karma at work that you end up in this position.
You keep on bringing this up. I pay taxes too. I have paid them for decades and will continue to pay them even when I retire. So will everyone else. As for poor planning, you are off base about that. It is actually the opposite I'm talking about. It's people that have planned and saved that are getting the shaft when Medicaid impoverishes a healthy spouse to the point of only leaving them an unrealistic amount of 2K in savings to fall back on. If a couple has saved and planned for old age and one gets sick and the other one lives for 20 more years, that 2K isn't going to be any help to the healthy spouse.
Don't get married then??
My elderly neighbors are not married, but living together. It's for financial reasons, she gets more SS from her ex's earnings, he lives off an injury settlement, they both own quite a bit of property.
Hopefully you will never have to go the Medicaid route and will have enough to cover your medical expenses.
My elderly neighbors are not married, but living together. It's for financial reasons, she gets more SS from her ex's earnings, he lives off an injury settlement, they both own quite a bit of property.
Hopefully you will never have to go the Medicaid route and will have enough to cover your medical expenses.
Times have changed I have seen the same thing (repeatedly). Unless there is a major LTC policy in place or a huge amount of funds, almost all the women I know over 60 never consider getting married. Too much fear and/or no interest in ending up being a "nurse or a purse", possibly losing their own financial security and benefits. They have seen it happen too many times.
My elderly neighbors are not married, but living together. It's for financial reasons, she gets more SS from her ex's earnings, he lives off an injury settlement, they both own quite a bit of property.
Hopefully you will never have to go the Medicaid route and will have enough to cover your medical expenses.
That is an option! I have heard of people doing just that and now I am beginning to see why.
Impoverishing a healthy spouse seems so unfair because it doesn't allow the healthy spouse to have adequate savings to live on and help supplement their income as they continue on with their life. It gives them no cushion for emergencies or if they get sick or if expenses increase (which they will always do) It's unrealistic. Then what happens if the spouse doesn't have enough? They are forced to seek state aid and now you have 2 people getting aid instead of just one.
Luckily. the states are beginning to see this too (with LTCi partnerships) as they figure out it is better to only have 1 person on Medicaid/Welfare/State aid than two. But each state is different with their agreements and it still doesn't do anything for the healthy spouse without LTCi.
Times have changed I have seen the same thing (repeatedly). Unless there is a major LTC policy in place or a huge amount of funds, almost all the women I know over 60 never consider getting married. Too much fear and/or no interest in ending up being a "nurse or a purse", possibly losing their own financial security and benefits. They have seen it happen too many times.
I am beginning to see this is a very real and viable option. And gives me much to think about.
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