My parents (62 & 64) are married and own a home. My mother is in a NH paying out of pocket but money is soon to run out. My father makes over the Medicaid limit. What will happen when the money runs out? Will Medicaid kick in even though my father makes over the limit? Can the state (MD) take their house?
If the money runs out, and they have no more than $2,000 in the bank, she could qualify for Medicaid. Apply anyway. They may help cover a portion of the cost, after your mother's SS income goes toward the NH, and your father may have to pay a monthly co-pay based on his (or their) income.
I'm guessing at those young ages, you all have been caught off guard needing things not yet thought needed.
As far as what I've just experienced, Medicaid looks at the whole picture, so don't just assume income being too high is a disqualification. Don't be afraid to ask questions from your state Medicaid office either, they are there to help answer questions.
I've used www.medicaidplanningassistance.org to get some of my information before filing for my mom.
Best to you in getting where you need to be.
It saddens me to hear that you are requiring/looking for Nursing Homes for such relatively-- by today's standards-- parents. I am assuming you Mom is already disabled and on SSDI (one place to start asking for directions to advice). Your parents aren't even retirement age.
You say that your mother is in a nursing home already.
Can you tell me a bit more about why that has happened?
Has she early dementia? Some other illness that makes it physically or mentally unable to be home?
You haven't filled out your profile, so we can have zero idea what is happening either for your parents or yourself, but it sounds as though there was already not a lot of savings, then your mom got quite ill?
Did you father go to an attorney to work out any division of assets when your mother entered care? That is to say has he some protected assets for his own future? Is he still working (am hoping the answer is yes to that)?
Is your Mom currently on Medicaid at all?
The simple answer to the home question is that someone can get Medicaid and still be on deed to a home and retain one car. HOWEVER, upon sale of that home by your father, should he outlive your Mom, some Medicaid "clawback " or "recovery" of taxpayer funds paid for care would be a possibility.
You really don't give us much information.
I suggest you take all information you do have as regards EVERYTHING to an Elder Law Attorney.
You will then learn all of the options open to BOTH your parents, and what might work best here to protect what assets you are able and still find the best affordable care for mom. I have seen it come to a quiet divorce for division of assets, and have seen it for a friend who is a CPA.
I wish you lots of luck.
We were just discussing this a.m. how many questions we attempt to field on AC when really expert LEGAL, FINANCIAL, MEDICAL help is what's needed.
Again, I welcome you, but want you to understand that while we may have served SOMEone in SOME capacity as caregivers, we aren't the EXPERTS you need for complicated questions.
I sure do wish you all the very best of luck.
I did seek an attorney and he advised that I should just delinquent my rights as guardianship and give that over to the nursing home. Would that be best please confirm if that was good advise?
Your father is a community spouse in their home and their house protected from Medicaid recovery until he passes away.
Has that been a consideration?
As to Medicaid, and especially when there is a marriage, and especially when there are issues of making too much money monthly in income (which would mean the writing of a Miller Trust or QIT Trust (Qualified Income Trust), these are not do-it-yourself issues. You should have the advice of an Elder Law Attorney.
These are very YOUNG people by today's standards? I am assuming early Alzheimer's for your Mom? And if so Dad needs to consult an elder law attorney about all these questions sooner rather than later. Like NOW. Because there are three more decades of life expected, and if earnings are no longer being gathered in, and money is outgoing to extended care facility.
Do seek expert advice on this one. Igloo here is very very smart on this kind of stuff and surely could guide you on the right questions to ask, but even she says when there's this level of complexity, you need expert guidance.
There are a division of assets that will protect your father from being impoverished while your mother will be able to be on Medicaid LTC.
In most states Medicaid only covers the medical portion of LTC and social security income covers the custodial (room & board) portion -- once a person qualifies both medically and financially.
There is such a thing as a QIT, a type of special trust where one off loads excess income in order to qualify for Medicaid, and when one passes, the funds in this trust revert back to Medicaid to cover the cost of their care.