My mother in law is a Maryland resident: all her doctors are there, she owns a condo there, that's her mailing address, etc. However, she has been living just across the border in West Virginia with her daughter for almost a decade now. With the waiting list for in-home care I don't see her receiving any sort of in-home services, but will this cause any problems as we try to get her on Medicaid?
Thx in Advance for any suggestions ….
The last drivers' license and tax returns she had reflect her Maryland address. The condo is occupied by her granddaughter, who pays most of the expenses (condo fee, utilities, etc.) but does not pay rent. We recognize that if she does eventually need long-term care whatever the condo would be worth might have to be surrendered to Medicaid to pay back this care--what we're worried about is that the family could not afford the cost of LTC if it were needed, which is the primary reason we want to get her on Medicaid.
Medicare, however, is federal so she can use providers & hospital services in any state as long as they accept Medicare.
If she applies for WV Medicaid, that condo property she owns in MD cannot be consider her exempt for WV Medicaid as it cannot be her homestead. It’ll likely be viewed as a nonexempt asset which she will have to sell or have up for sale with aMLS Realtor listing to be eligible for WV Medicaid. Once sold the proceeds from the sale increase her overall assets so she’ll be ineligible for Medicaid until she’s down to 2k.
But if she applies for MD Medicaid, she’ll need to do all from the condo address. Although you as her dpoa can ask for copies of Medicaid correspondence to be sent to you in WV.
Whats the status on the condo....like it’s empty and she pays the taxes, insurance, HOA, etc as she’s the owner? Or is it rented? Either will pose a problem for Medicaid. Rent cause it’s income to her that in turn has to be reported to Medicaid. But to me the bigger issue for a parent who owns a home & wants to continue to own it but moves into a facility on Medicaid is that due to Medicaid required copay or a SOC (share of cost) they will have zero-none-nada of their mo income to pay any property costs. Yeah the home can be an exempt asset. But they personally will have no $ for it. Family will need to pay all then after they die deal with Medicaids Estate Recovery program (MERP). Whether it’s feasible or make sense to do, is up to you to decide. But it’s something to mull over in my experience in advance of your mom ever applying for Medicaid.