Can I back pay myself for caregiving for my Mom to pay down for Medicare QMB?

It is my understanding that QMB also covers the cost of Medicare Part B and the 20% not covered by Medicare. It allows you to suspend payments for supplemental insurance for up to a year.

brmbo123: QMB is a Medicare low-income savings program.
hoosier: Hospice is fully covered by regular Medicare, including meds.

what does qmb pay for

Yes, you should have let Mom pay her own way all along. But it may be too late to do anything about it now. You could spend some of that to consult an Elder Law attorney to see if there is anything to be done retroactively.

Other things to spend down the money on include Mom's wardrobe, shoes, long-term magazine subscriptions, a better wheelchair, a nice recliner (maybe with a lift feature) any furnishings (will she be staying at home or moving to a care center?) things like nice fitted sheets for a hospital bed (if she needs a hospital bed). Some of these things would not be appropriate if she is on hospice.

The easiest thing is just to use that "extra" money to pay for whatever is not covered now, knowing that it will be covered soon.

I know that you did what you hoped would be the best thing for your mother. No criticism from me! But to newer caregivers here, I think this is a good object lesson. Not having your parent pay his or her own way as you go along is really seldom the best for everyone.

Pay for Mom's things with Mom's money. Let Dad reimburse you for mileage if you must travel for him. Have a written personal care agreement and/or room and board arrangements. Document all of this so that Medicaid (and other relatives) will not consider it a gift.

I will you well, hoosier1.

Too late now. The caregiving agreement would have to be written a long time ago.