Mom was just approved for Medicaid last month. Yesterday I checked her bank balance and she is $300 over her required $2000 per month limit.
There was a separate direct deposit from SSI into her account, along with her regular SSI this month.
I logged onto her SSI account and there is no explanation for this deposit, nor is it even shown in her transaction records.
Has anyone experienced this? I’m at a loss on how to proceed. TIA!
Take pad, pen, and a printout of her recent account history, highlight the reference numbers, then get on the phone. Write down names, reference numbers and all similar details every time you get put through to another person or you will lose your way.
Once you have tracked down where the deposit came from, you will know if it is an error and the money must be simply repaid, or an overlooked payment that was in fact due to her for some reason.
And once you know that, you'll know what you need to explain to Medicaid so that they don't send you back to square one.
If the money appears on her bank account record but not on her SSI record, it sounds like an error. They'll probably be getting mirror calls at the same time demanding to know where the other person's money is!
It is what they call state buy in... Apparently once someone is accepted into Medicaid they are reimbursed for the months they paid for Medicare thru deductions from a SSI check. It was retroactive 3 months in our case.
Why is this process so frustrating? How hard would it be for someone to give you a brochure or a website to go to with accurate information on filing for Medicaid, what is the process and what you can expect to happen when??? I guess they don’t want it to be easy, right?
1) Making it simpler might lead to a reduction in the number of jobs associated with the bureaucracy.
2) No one in the bureaucracy has the common sense and/or the initiative to create such a brochure.
Another possibility it that lawyers don't want it because it would reduce the need for them.
Now, if that happened with my Mom, her NH was her payee so that money, if she was reimbursed, went to them and I was not made aware. Be aware that her Personal needs acct will effect the 2k too. You need to spend the money before the next Medicaid eval. on her.
When I was an Ombudsman I got a call from a family who had their mom in a nursing home. They told me that the home took the residents to the casino for an activity. Their mom won $5000 and was on Medicaid. They were in a panic thinking she was going to be kicked off Medicaid. I assured them that all they had to do was spend down the amount within the 30 or 60 days and she would be fine.
Yes planning on buying her some new clothes and shoes can’t really think of anything else she needs or wants.
Good to know you have 30 days to spend down if she goes over it is so unnerving worrying about this every month!
Thanks again everyone!
Just when you think you have things settled. At least you are getting back on track. Hugs!
Still concerned about over-the-limit inquires in the future, I immediately made an early mortgage payment and paid a couple smaller bills ahead of schedule. I used this approach in case Medicaid or Social Security later request justification/proof of how the monies were spent. It also returned the bank balances to normal levels.
Social Security and the nursing home verbally informed me the deposit was legitimate and I did not need to return the funds. I even visited the bank to ask about this sudden deposit and should I request a hold or return of the money?
It took 3 trips - 1 to each agency and the nursing home to believe it was a legitimate deposit and funds could be used as needed. I checked with the 3 to cross-check what I was being told by each. Can't be too careful about funds that suddenly appear, unsolicited, in any of the accounts.
Why isn't SS required to notify us in writing??
Turns out that a merchant on the east coast had some how pushed the wrong buttons on a bank coin machine that would make deposits to his business account and we got his money.
What had caused me alarm turned into a good laugh. That was more than five years ago and to this day the account rep remember it we still have a good laugh about it.
I don't think you can be too careful. some hacker have been know to make small deposit to see if they have successfully hacked into an account so they can then empty it.
Several good answers here. I don't need medicaid but the info is still great.
Thanks all.