Nursing Home/Medicade HELP!!!!!

[Chain Saw]

Both my wife's parents have been in a N/H for about two years. The only thing they have left is their home. I've got an offer to sell the house. Should clear about 1 large. I'm being told that medicade will get it all. Is there anything I can do to prevent this?

It's so sad. I know they wanted to help out one of their kids who is about to lose his home. After the house sold, my in-laws were going to give him some money. I'm told that if they wrote the kid a check, Medicade would come after him for the money. Can that be right?

Thanks for any help in this matter.

Chain Saw

 

[Chanman]

Wish I could help. Good Luck Chain Saw.

 

[Chain Saw]

Thanks Chanman. Appreciate your kind words.

I'm afraid that most of you may be just a little too young to have to faced this problem. Word to the wise. You may well face this situation later on. Do the best you can to have your parent's house transferred to you as they get older. And it has to be done 3 years before they have to go to a nursing home.

We just could not talk my wife's dad into doing that. It really is a tough sell.

Chain Saw

 

[SixFive]

u don't have to sell the house, do you? I could be wrong, but I didn't think the primary residence, even though they are residing in a nursing home, has to be liquidated to pay the nursing home bills.

Like you said, getting your parents property transferred to your name is the best way, but many don't want to give up that control and do it.

 

[Morris]

See this all the time. Older people just don't want to make the transfer. Good Luck.


Bob

 

[Master Capper]

Chain Saw:

The answer to your question is more than likely going to depend what state that you are in and how the department of insurance has ruled on this matter. Generally, assets have to be moved from the home bound person quite a few years before they enter a home, the home will more than likely put forth a claim against the property since I assume it's still in the home bound person's name. Generally, to be eligible for Medicaid a person has to satisfy a spend down, which means their assets must be cashed out and their income per month must be delcared as a payment to the home. It's really sad how these home's make a ton of jack off of people with serious ailments, and if you do not have Long Term Care Coverage basically your focked. You should contact your state's officew on aging or the state's department of insurance to get a ruling on how your state operates.

 

[dr. freeze]

this is the sad state that our country is in because we pay for medicare and welfare our whole life.....and are unable to save any kind of $$ for retirement....so we are basically slaves of the state and have to sell back everything we own to pay for our terminal health care...

just think the amount of $$ you could save if your SS went into savings every paycheck....instead we have set up this ridiculous system which costs more to administer than it does reap benefits

and the Republicans are accused of stealing from Grandma:shrug:

 

[skulldog]

Your right 3 years prior to entrance into a NH, and they are thinking about changing it to 5:nono: :shrug: :moon: .

It's worth calling an Estate planning Attorney in the state they reside in to see what options they have. Usually the first hour is free They still maybe able to help their son out if medicade hasn't put a lein on the property yet by getting a reverse mortgage and take the $$ and give it to him before they take it all Hell if it was me, I'd sucked all the equity out and give medicade the shaft:thefinger .

Sorry for the rant but this shit pisses me off.

GL( call an attorney before you do anything)

 

[Chain Saw]

They (my in-laws) have a line of credit on the house which has virtually gone untouched. Your thinking is exactly like mine. The guy needs money-hell, just write a check off the credit line. However, I was told "not so fast my friend". The feds will come after that money as if it were theirs. And if they can't get that money back from the son, guess whose door they would knock on. That's right-the dumb ass son-in-law who had this brilliant idea in the first place.

Next step has to be a lawyer's office. We're in a small city in Alabama so the level of expertise may lack. But I've got to try something. Thanks everyone for your help.

Chain Saw

 

[Turfgrass]

YOUR TAX MONEY AT WORK

YOUR TAX MONEY AT WORK

You work your buns off for 40 hours or more every week. When you're not working you're sitting at the dining room table trying to figure out how you are going to get the bills paid and still have some money to put aside for your child's college education. You take a look at your paycheck and see that deduction for federal income tax. You also see the deduction for Medicare tax. That money would sure come in handy for your own personal needs, wouldn't it ... but you may need Medicare when you get older, so you just let that 2.25% slide.

The next weekend a friend comes up with tickets for a local college football game. While you're sitting in the stands you notice a blimp flying overhead. On the side of the blimp you see the words "1-800-MEDICARE" You think that perhaps this is a bit odd. You wonder why they are advertising Medicare in the skies over a college football game.

When you get home you decide to find out just who put that blimp up there. Just curious, I guess. You then find out that the federal government spent $600,000 on that blimp. It's part of a $30 million advertising campaign to make Medicare better known to seniors.

A blimp! $600,000 for a blimp! $600,000 while you're struggling to make ends meet and trying to figure out a way to get your kid into college. Somewhere some bureaucrats and politicians decided that it was more important for the federal government to have that money to spend on a blimp than it was to allow the people who actually earned that money to keep it and use it to cover their own family expenses and needs.

What is it going to take to send you to the battlefront in the fight to cut back on the size of government? What is it going to take to convince you that politicians are out of control with their spending? Is a blimp enough?

 

[dr. freeze]

i like that my energy company decided to spend advertising on our football stadium.............."Reliant Stadium"

geez if they wouldn't have i probably wouldn't have known that i can get electricity in my home

$$$$$ as electricity bills continue to be inflated

 

[Master Capper]

Chain Saw:

I would highly advise you to not touch the home line of credit unless it can be documented that al lof the cash is going for the well being of your in-laws. When the time comes and there is no more funds to pay the nursing home they will do a extensive audit on your in-laws finances, sort of like they do in a bitter divorce process, if the funds cannot be accounted for then you have opened up a can of worms that will be tough to financially come out of. People do not realize the amount of cash that nursing homes in the United States make, the figures would absolutely blow your mind.

 

[skulldog]

Again seek the advice of a qualified Attorney, but give him(guy in trouble) the money and should the feds come after him, do the honorable thing and file bankruptcy, assuming that if he's in trouble he proably doesn't have any equity or other assets and he'll be able to keep his house.

TALK TO AN ATTORNEY BEFORE DOING ANYTHING :shrug:

GL

 

[Chain Saw]

I think I'll take Skulldog's advice about seeing an attorney before I do anything. Master Capper--thank's for confirming why it may not be a good idea to draw down on the line-of credit right now,

You know, I'd give the guy the money myself but I know I'd never get it back. I'm just not in the position to piss away 10 grand right now. I'm sure he'd be knocking on the old door for more in a couple of years.

It is a shame. You work almost your entire life to provide for your family. You put it on your shoulders to provide shelter, food, clothing, etc. for the people you love. And in the end, as your body and mind start to weaken and you are no longer the provider--what do you have to show for it? If you are not wealthy or financially set, you have nothing.

When my father-in-law learned that his kids may not inherit a thing from selling the house, he wept. He wishes now he had listened about transferring the house. It is so sad.

And it has made me friggin mad as hell. But, Im at a loss.

Thanks guys for your support and guidance.

 

[DOGS THAT BARK]

Couples or singles are not required to sell their home or homestead,however any farms or property not attached to homestead would have to be sold and money spent.
In an attempt to prevent what they call "program abuse" most states will go back 36 months to determine if money or nonexempt property has been transferred,however if trust has been established they will go back 60 months.
Medicaid quidelines for married couples if only one is in nursing home the other is allowed to keep up to $89,000 in joint reserves however from what you say both are in nursing home.
When both spouses are in nursing home the resource limit drops to $2,000 each plus a $1,500 burial reserve for each.
I you want to get more technical, contact your local Department for Community Based Services. Its free and they know more than most attorneys that do not specialize in this field.

 

[djv]

So many parents do not want to turn house over to there kids. One big reason was said divorce. They dont want there kids to have to count any of it as there share of wealth. They end up in NH and it goes to the government. Beat the 3 years is the battle cry. At one time in Wisconsin it was just 2 years now 3. Another way keep one at home with home care. They can not take the house if one parent is livieng there.

 

[Chanman]

Subject: When I get old

Subject: When I get old

Disclaimer for Chain saw: This in no way means to offend. I just received this via E-Mail and thought it was worth a post, but would never mean to make light of such a serious situation. I just believe that the more open information is better for all involved- even if info does not directly help. Again, if this seems crass or taseless I apologize cause it is not meant to reflect upon you or yours.


NO Nursing Home for me!

With the average cost for a Nursing Home per day reaching $188.00, there is a better way when we get old &feeble. I have ascertained that I can get a nice room at the Holiday Inn for around $65.00...that leaves $123.00 a day for beer, food (room service), laundry, gratuities and special TV movies.
They have a swimming pool, a workout room, a lounge, washer, dryer, etc. Most have free toothpaste and razors, and all have free shampoo and soap.

Super 8 is somewhat more economical and they have a free breakfast, though you usually have to walk next door for lunch and dinner.

There may be a bit of a wait to get that first floor room, but that's OK, it takes months to get into decent nursing homes. There is the Senior Bus, the Handicap bus (if you fake a decent limp), a Church bus or van, cabs, and even a regular bus. For a change of lunch take the Airport Bus and eat at one of the fast food cafe's there.

The Inn has security, and if someone sees you drop over, they will call an ambulance. And should you break a hip, the American Way is to Sue. What more can you ask for?

As a bonus, they all have AARP and other Senior discounts. So:

When I reach the Golden age
help me keep my grin
Just check my old rickety body
into the nearest Holiday Inn!

 

[Chain Saw]

Doesn't bother me a bit. Kinda agree with that outlook to tell ya the truth. Would be a hell of lot easier than the present situation.

No offense taken at all.

Chain Saw