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Disckitty Asked April 9, 2024

Paying property taxes with spend down money?

House will not sell not quickly. I am running out of ways to spend down. Can i use spend down funds to pay those taxes so they can be qualified for Al. Last bit time use then he will qualify.

JoAnn29 Apr 12, 2024
You can also spend down by paying privately until its gone. I did this with my Mom. She had 20k left. I paid for 2 months privately in a NH, applied in that two months and Medicaid started the 3rd month.

You can also do repairs to Dads house using his money. House will sell better if you need to do some cosmetic work. Have a realtor come in and tell you what needs to be done to help the house sell. I don't see where buying stuff and returning it helps. The money from the return needs to go back in his account.

mstrbill Apr 10, 2024
Yes!

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Disckitty Apr 10, 2024
Thank you all for your input.
My dad lives in Oregon. I have continuously asked this question online and I only get " check the rules for your state" I have called the eligibility line and left messages for weeks now and no one is returning my calls that knows how to answer this question. The state Medicaid website does not give specifics.. I cannot even find out what items are not eligible to be used for spend down he does not need anything as we will be using the items in his current home. So I am going to buy stuff then return it. I guess we will have to do this constantly to keep his assets down in the checking and savings account to make sure he passes the audits to remain eligible. ( sigh)
They also dont address any cash that is given to him in gifts. I guess I just need to tell him to not deposit any cash he gets and to keep it in a safe?

JoAnn29 Apr 9, 2024
I would say yes if person is not already recieving Medicaid. I paid Moms taxes with her money up till the time she started receiving Medicaid. At that time, there was no money to pay them. Her statements showed the deduction and copies of her checks were attached. Medicaid never questioned the payments.

Be aware though, that if you pay taxes and bills on the house, there is no guarantee that Medicaid will let u recoup them from the proceeds. The house also needs to be sold at Market Value. I was told this by Mom's caseworker. Even with good records he could not guarantee me anything. I live in a State with the highest taxes in the US. I chose not to pay Moms taxes once she was on Medicaid. I did keep the lights on with timers set to go on at sundown and turn off at 11pm. Heat, I kept at 55° so the pipes would not freeze. DH unplugged the stove, frig and appliances.

AlvaDeer Apr 9, 2024
I would check rules for your state with an elder law attorney on this question.
You cannot afford to be wrong and you need expert advice.

Geaton777 Apr 9, 2024
Medicaid rules can vary by state. What state is this person in? Is the house in their name? This is something that can be searched online for their home state's Social Services/Elder Care/Medicaid website.

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