If mom goes into a nursing home, will she get any income?
Medicaid is paying for my stepfather's VA nursing home, mom is getting his SS income due to spousal impoverishment. If mom goes into a nursing home, will she get any income? She still needs to pay Life Insurance. Thank you
Oh about changing the beneficiary on your mom's insurance policy, you might be able to change the beneficiary to a special needs trust for your parents. If the insurance $$ amount is big enough, this could be a good way to use the $ for them and still have them qualify for Medicaid. It would need to be done by an elder care attorney to set up the right type of trust up that works for your state's rules.A trust is kinda it's own living entity and has to be maintained (which is a cost) and that requires that there is a way for the trust to do that. If there is a good payout on her life insurance, the trust would use a part of the $ as the initial amount with the rest in some sort of investment (like mutual funds) to "feed" the trust and provide a way for it (the trust) to live and be maintained. When they both die, whatever $$ is left is then distributed to the heirs. If they live like to forever, the trust could de-fund and then dissolve. Happens all the time. Attorney needs to set up trust.
Probably depends on your state but they usually are allowed to keep $50 a month from any income they receive. This is used for personal items, haircuts etc.
Jeanne - muchas gracias! Bo - OK once they are in a NH on Medicaid, a resident is given a monthly sum that is their "personal needs allowance". My mom is in TX and her PNA is $ 60 mo. All other of their monthly income must be paid to the NH. So if your dad is in the NH right now, he is getting a PNA. Either it is going into a PNA trust @ the NH if the NH is getting paid direct from SS or it is going into their bank account if you are writing a check for his stay.
Now my mom still has her home which sits empty BUT is paid for BUT still has costs incurred (yard, utilites, taxes, insurance). Her insurance is fully paid for also & to the point she gets a dividend on it (yeah another special form to be done on that for her annual Medicaid renewal too). Now the $ 60 PNA my mom gets is NOT used for any of the house costs. I could do this as POA but really $ 60 a month is barely enough for hair salon and personal stuff replacement for her. My mom loves those hideous SAS shoes and looses at least 2 pairs a year and that alone is about $ 250 in personal goods bought for her out of her PNA. So all of her PNA $ goes into her bank account or her personal needs trust @ the NH. You do need to make sure the PNA is spent because if you let it build, it could take them over the 2K in assets allowed by Medicaid.
So everything for the house is paid by myself and another family member. I keep records and upon her death will let MERP (Medicaid estate recovery) know of our claim against my mom's estate for these expenses. For us it works as it is a rather modest house, is fully paid for, still has all it's elderly owner exemptions and homestead exemptions, etc. Plus she has fabulous neighbors who look out for it.
But if there had been a mortgage - which is what you face - it would have been a totally different situation. For me the central ? is: does anyone within the family want or need the house and can they manage to pay for all of the house for the years and years that mom or dad could live, like 5, 10, 15 years. You have to be bitterly realistic on all this. My mom is mid90's so realistically, we are not facing years and years of paying for all on her home.
If the $ isn't there, then the house will go into foreclosure. If the house is like over 20 -25% underwater, sending the keys to the mortgage holder and just walking away makes total sense. Mom is going into a NH so she doesn't need the house, nor does dad. This is really a common situation for many homeowners. It's throwing good $$ after bad, imho. Personally, if no family can pay for the house costs, I'd do this before another monthly payment is due and send it registered certified mail.
About her insurance, if the monthly cost of it is under her states PNA, then you can use the PNA to pay for it. As I said, my mom's is paid up but was about $ 35 a month and that would be manageable to pay and have $$ to use for her personal needs @ the NH. You need to figure out what she & dad might need and if you & family will out of their own $ go and buy toothpaste, shampoo, shoes, clothes etc so that the PNA can be spent on insurance.
Please check the policy to see who is the beneficiary. You do NOT want it to be your dad. Say the policy is 50K, if dad is the beneficiary then is mom dies before him, then he is 50K richer and will be disqualfied for Medicaid as the 50K must be used for his NH costs and done by private pay. If that is the case, you need to request a change of beneficiary from the insurer and you as DPOA can do this. Takes about 90 days so this is something you don't want to put off if they are in a NH. Understand? Good luck and keep a sense of humor.
Ignoo really is the expert and I'll bet she'll be back with answers. As I understand it, Mom will get a small allowance for personal items such as haircuts and clothing, but it will not be enough to cover upkeep of the home or insurance policies.
Are the life insurance policies intended to cover the cost of cremation/burial?
Mom is currently living in their home, getting spousal impoverishment since stepdad is in nursing home and medicaid is paying for his stay. Once mom goes into a nursing home, medicaid will have to pay and I am not sure if she will receive any type of allowance to pay for her and his life insurance plans. They still have a large mortgage which is more than their home is worth. Hope this helps - thank you soooo much for any info you can give me :)
So your mom is still living at their home, and it's got a homestead exemption and no other property? How is she paying for items related to the home? Is there still a mortgage?
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Bo - OK once they are in a NH on Medicaid, a resident is given a monthly sum that is their "personal needs allowance". My mom is in TX and her PNA is $ 60 mo. All other of their monthly income must be paid to the NH. So if your dad is in the NH right now, he is getting a PNA. Either it is going into a PNA trust @ the NH if the NH is getting paid direct from SS or it is going into their bank account if you are writing a check for his stay.
Now my mom still has her home which sits empty BUT is paid for BUT still has costs incurred (yard, utilites, taxes, insurance). Her insurance is fully paid for also & to the point she gets a dividend on it (yeah another special form to be done on that for her annual Medicaid renewal too). Now the $ 60 PNA my mom gets is NOT used for any of the house costs. I could do this as POA but really $ 60 a month is barely enough for hair salon and personal stuff replacement for her. My mom loves those hideous SAS shoes and looses at least 2 pairs a year and that alone is about $ 250 in personal goods bought for her out of her PNA. So all of her PNA $ goes into her bank account or her personal needs trust @ the NH. You do need to make sure the PNA is spent because if you let it build, it could take them over the 2K in assets allowed by Medicaid.
So everything for the house is paid by myself and another family member. I keep records and upon her death will let MERP (Medicaid estate recovery) know of our claim against my mom's estate for these expenses. For us it works as it is a rather modest house, is fully paid for, still has all it's elderly owner exemptions and homestead exemptions, etc. Plus she has fabulous neighbors who look out for it.
But if there had been a mortgage - which is what you face - it would have been a totally different situation. For me the central ? is: does anyone within the family want or need the house and can they manage to pay for all of the house for the years and years that mom or dad could live, like 5, 10, 15 years. You have to be bitterly realistic on all this. My mom is mid90's so realistically, we are not facing years and years of paying for all on her home.
If the $ isn't there, then the house will go into foreclosure. If the house is like over 20 -25% underwater, sending the keys to the mortgage holder and just walking away makes total sense. Mom is going into a NH so she doesn't need the house, nor does dad. This is really a common situation for many homeowners. It's throwing good $$ after bad, imho. Personally, if no family can pay for the house costs, I'd do this before another monthly payment is due and send it registered certified mail.
About her insurance, if the monthly cost of it is under her states PNA, then you can use the PNA to pay for it. As I said, my mom's is paid up but was about $ 35 a month and that would be manageable to pay and have $$ to use for her personal needs @ the NH. You need to figure out what she & dad might need and if you & family will out of their own $ go and buy toothpaste, shampoo, shoes, clothes etc so that the PNA can be spent on insurance.
Please check the policy to see who is the beneficiary. You do NOT want it to be your dad. Say the policy is 50K, if dad is the beneficiary then is mom dies before him, then he is 50K richer and will be disqualfied for Medicaid as the 50K must be used for his NH costs and done by private pay. If that is the case, you need to request a change of beneficiary from the insurer and you as DPOA can do this. Takes about 90 days so this is something you don't want to put off if they are in a NH. Understand? Good luck and keep a sense of humor.
Are the life insurance policies intended to cover the cost of cremation/burial?
VA Aid & Attendance done?