When it comes to funeral expenses, Medicaid allows for the flowers and luncheon and stone. Anything to do with the funeral. Medicaid doesn't pay the amount of money private pay is. My Mom was on Medicaid for 3 months. She paid $1700 a month towards her care. Medicaid is asking for $6000. Since Mom has no money, they will put a lean on her house. When sold, they will get their money. So, you may not owe as much as you think. You may just want to pay them out right and keep the car or sell it to pay Medicaid. You will need to establish the worth of the car before selling. Otherwise, if there is no money you r not responsible for Dad's debts. I called Mom's caseworker at Medicaid to find out what was owed and he had a letter sent to me.
I would consult with an attorney who is well versed in Medicaid rules, because, there may be time deadlines for notices and I'd make sure that I was compliant with those time deadlines. I'd take your documentation of what they paid to show the attorney.
On the funeral / burial, the preneed type of policies probably do NOT include floral, also if there police assignments needed or gravestone etching to be done, those items may not be covered either. If it’s looking like the irrevocable will actually have funds left over, speak with the FH to get them to pay for items and then they use the extra policy $$ to cover those costs. Otherwise you or family will end up paying.
If FH and burial are totally different entities, unless the preneed covers both, there will be costs that this situation poses. Like car cavalcade to cemetery, separate cemetery costs.... Catholic burials often have this situation.
Room and board was $11315. He paid $3,779. I had an Irrevocable funeral trust that they’re going to get the balance of after the funeral home gets paid
Wild - the state or its outside contractor will send out a NOI to whomever was on file for Medicaid as his contact. NOI is Notice of INTENT to file a claim or a lien against whatever he left as his estate. It’s all a part of MERP ( Estate Recovery system) That car has a value and so becomes an asset of his estate. For those that die with assets the choices are either family sells assets with state getting whatever they set costs at from the proceeds of the sale; OR you open probate and then everyone goes by probate rules to deal with assets/debts; OR if the amount is small enough you file for release of claim from the state due to cost benefit determination requirements.
Now there are all sorts of exemptions and exclusions to MERP as well as a cost benefit determination. If all he had was the car and no $ left either in his bank account or the personal needs allowance kitty at the NH, then his estate will have as it’s value whatever is the fmv of the car. Usually from Kelley Blue book but you can pay to have it appraised.
To me, if this is the situation, then this is a straightforward math problem. The feds guidelines on cost benefit is if amount owed is below a set figure (I think 3k) OR if value of estate is under 10k, then recovery does not meet the cost benefit standard to be done. You need to provide documentation to show value and send this along with the questionnaire sent by MERP to get Estate Recovery closed out. The NOI may be just a letter with a follow up Questionnaire or state sends both out initially..... whatever the case you gotta fill it out with documentation to get any lien/ claim dealt with. Hopefully car is way under 10k; you clearly show this in your mailing back to the state or its outside contractor and get release of lien. You then take this - probably to tax assessor motor vehicle division - to get title transferred. I’d bet info on line easy to figure out what you need to do this from assessor website.
If car over 10k value, then it’s going to be imho lots more complicated. But I’m guessing if dad was like most elderly on this site...they have an old old car maybe worth 8k! Good luck and let us know how things shake out.
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If FH and burial are totally different entities, unless the preneed covers both, there will be costs that this situation poses. Like car cavalcade to cemetery, separate cemetery costs.... Catholic burials often have this situation.
What is car value?
Now there are all sorts of exemptions and exclusions to MERP as well as a cost benefit determination. If all he had was the car and no $ left either in his bank account or the personal needs allowance kitty at the NH, then his estate will have as it’s value whatever is the fmv of the car. Usually from Kelley Blue book but you can pay to have it appraised.
To me, if this is the situation, then this is a straightforward math problem. The feds guidelines on cost benefit is if amount owed is below a set figure (I think 3k) OR if value of estate is under 10k, then recovery does not meet the cost benefit standard to be done. You need to provide documentation to show value and send this along with the questionnaire sent by MERP to get Estate Recovery closed out. The NOI may be just a letter with a follow up Questionnaire or state sends both out initially..... whatever the case you gotta fill it out with documentation to get any lien/ claim dealt with. Hopefully car is way under 10k; you clearly show this in your mailing back to the state or its outside contractor and get release of lien. You then take this - probably to tax assessor motor vehicle division - to get title transferred. I’d bet info on line easy to figure out what you need to do this from assessor website.
If car over 10k value, then it’s going to be imho lots more complicated. But I’m guessing if dad was like most elderly on this site...they have an old old car maybe worth 8k!
Good luck and let us know how things shake out.