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Ejwolfe Asked June 2023

My Dad has $200,000 lifetime savings and a pension of $3,500 a month. Will Medicare assist to pay for assisted living?

MACinCT Jun 2023
He has a good financial footing to last a few years on self pay. Medicare covers when he is sick and AL is more for custodial care. Us taxpayers only will foot his bill when he reaches Medicaid status. Usually Medicaid does not pay for any AL. When tax time comes, a portion of his monthly rent is deductible for the medical part of his stay. It is best to use an accountant if you are not aware.

AlvaDeer Jun 2023
Medicare never pays for ALF. Only Medicaid does.
Your Dad doesn't qualify for medicaid until he spends down what the state requires. In California he can now keep just over 100,000 but that is in total assets. In most states the amount allowed in his accounts would be under 5,000 plus home and plus car. Then all his retirement money would go to his facility (most ALF don't accept Medicaid patients but some few do). As well he would spend down his 200,000 before application to medicaid.

Look up rules for Medicaid in your State.
Go to ALF to check on their rules for admission, on their costs.
I wish you the best in researching this.
But short answer is that Medicare isn't involved in the question at all, only Medicaid,

An Elder Law attorney, if you buy one hour of time from him, can explain the basics of the system for you, or a Licensed Social Worker as well.

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JoAnn29 Jun 2023
Medicare is Dads health plan. Any help you would get would be temporary. They pay partially for Rehab. If "in home care" is recommended after a hospital stay they pay for that. Both are short term.

Medicaid is what you apply for when you need help with Longer term care. And your Dad has too much money for Medicaid help. I most States he can only have 2k in assets. In my State the income cap for Medicaid is just over $2300 a month. Your Dad already makes too much in Pension. There are ways around that with Medicaid Trusts but again, not all states allow that. Medicaid in for low income people.

Your Dad is going to need to pay for his care until his money is gone. If you could find a nice AL for about 5k a month he would be left about 1200 a month he would need to dip into his savings for. That 200k should last him over 10 yrs if I have calculated correctly. If he has a house, that could be sold to offset the cost of his care. His personal needs should not be that much.

CTTN55 Jun 2023
How long has your father lived with you? How/why did he come to live with you instead of using his funds for another living arrangement? Do you have his POA/HCPOA? Your father's funds should be used to pay for any in-home help or a facility. With his pension (is there SS, also?) plus his savings, he should be able to afford a facility for a while. Does he contribute anything toward his room and board at your house? Did you quit a job to take care of him? Or are you trying to do it all without any remuneration and are now looking for help to pay for AL in order to "save the inheritance"? Are there siblings involved?

TeethGrinder65 Jun 2023
Medicare doesn't pay for assisted living. They pay for medical costs required in a skilled nursing facility. There's a difference.

https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/10153-Medicare-Skilled-Nursing-Facility-Care.pdf

MeDolly Jun 2023
No, Medicare does not pay for Assisted Living nor does Medicaid. He will be self pay as he has adequate funds to pay for this.

My mother is in AL, she pays $4,800 a month, net out of her pocket is $2000 a month, she has about the same amount of money as your father, when she has to go into a nursing home, and runs out of money, we will apply for Medicaid.
Geaton777 Jun 2023
There are ways that states provide help to pay for AL (like through waiver programs and other assistance):

https://www.helpadvisor.com/medicaid/medicaid-assisted-living-benefits-by-state

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