My mother has no assets to her name. Only disability from Social Security and a pension from my father. I'm worried they will tell me she gets too much money each month. I have a friend who only gets 1100 from SS per month and she was turned down. This makes me think my mother probably won't qualify. Thoughts?
If your mother needs LTC and is over the income limit then the bad news is that your state doesn’t allow for Miller trusts but probably has a “medically needy” pathway which allows her to spend down her excess income on her health care costs every month which then lowers her countable income & makes her eligible for Medicaid.
In my State I think the cap income for Medicaid in home and NH care is 2300. You are only allowed 2k in assets. You stay in your home and are allowed a car. Are you sure that your friend doesn't have money put aside. Like Savings, CDs, IRAs, stocks or bonds. If so, these may count as assets and need to be spent down before Medicaid wil, take over. $1100 is not enough to live on.
You need to call your Medicaid office and find out what the income cap is for your State. Also, how much in assets they allow. Each state is different. Please, don't take info from other people as gospel. Every situation is different so you need to talk to a Medicaid caseworker.
There are different types of Medicaid; community medicaid (medical insurance) and Nursing Home Medicaid (for long term care). There are also a myriad of Medicaid waiver programs.
There are ways around the income caps in some cases. Some cases allow you to spend down assets and income. Some allow your medical bills to be deducted from income. In some states, you can set up a pooled income trust so that excess income goes into a trust that eventually reverts to the state upon the death of the person covered.
Medicaid is a very different case if there is a "community spouse" involved.
There are a LOT of reasons why Medicaid might have been denied in the neighbor's case. She might have gifted money or property within the 5 year look back period. She might own more than one property. She might not have understood the ways enumeratd above to get her income below the limit.
Talk to a Medicaid case worker and/or an elder care attorney to get the full picture for your mother.