applying for medcaid for an elderly father

tockerman · ‎06-13-2010

has anyone gone through this process? how long before they run out of money do you have to apply. how do they plentize you if they fell the parnet gave away money?

lenapecci · ‎05-11-2010

It will depend on which state your father resides in.

Some states accepted the Medicaid expansion. Even with that there are different guidelines.

In NV where I worked on Medicaid claims, it was based on if you had an income and what that level was. It did not take into consideration of savings or if you owned a home etc.

In PA where I am now the guidelines are different and it is income level and they do consider savings and other finances.

My advice is if you can go on the Medicaid website for the state you are in. All of the guidelines and if a person qualifies are there as well as the application. Also you can call the state Medicaid office for assistance.

chprsp · ‎03-09-2010

In PA where I worked 30 years in that field there are a number of categories all with different income and resource limits. There is also nursing home care. They used to look at whether you transferred property in the past 5 years and if so did expenses outweigh the value. That was back in 2012 when my mother entered nursing home care. I think at that time the resource limit for nursing home care was $9000. Not sure as I've been retired since 2006. An irrevocable burial reserve was allowed. The best thing to do is to complete an application with the county assistance office aka department of public welfare. Not sure what it is called now and it varies state to state.

If your father is a veteran he may be able to get some help through them.

50Mickey · ‎05-21-2010

Medicaid is complicated and there are income and resource limits for each different category of Medicaid. If you are looking at Medicaid for nursing home care they will look back for 5 years for transfers. The recipient can own a home but the state can place a lien and take the home after the recipient passes away. I did Medicaid auditing for many years before I retired and we checked real property records looking for transfers, we contacted employers to inquire about pensions. They will look at the cash value of life insurance policies, and request bank statements for at least 2 years. You will have to provide a ton of stuff for the agency to determine eligibility. It was already mentioned if your dad was is a veteran and served during any period of war he is probably eligible for VA aid and attendance for in home or nursing home care. . A good pace to start is with the nursing home. They can give you more specific guidelines for Medicaid eliglbility in your state.

Good luck!

meem120 · ‎03-09-2010

I was also required to pay for her funeral with excess funds my mom had in her account. before they would process her application.

PINKdogWOOD · ‎05-13-2010

Time consuming but necessary sometimes. My SIs & I had to do this for our Dad, then mom a few years later.

Work with an attorney to make certain you get this right.

Deb665 · ‎01-07-2012

One of the best things you could do would be to find an attorney who specializes in Elder Care Law. They will go over everything you can and cannot do, help you with the application process and prepare any additional documents you might need in the future, such as Power of Attorney, Living Will, etc.

My sister and I faced this many years ago for our parents and without our attorney I’m not sure how we would have managed.

Good luck to you!

K9buddy · ‎03-09-2010

I did this 4 years ago for my mother with the help of an attorney. Could never have done it on my own.

software · ‎06-08-2016

Go ahead and apply right away, get that step done first & let them tell you where to go from there. Anything you do with the government is tedious. Just take a deep breath & be patient. Make sure you understand everything. Most of the employees are very helpful.

Also if your father was a vet, get in touch with the VA.

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@tockerman wrote:
has anyone gone through this process? how long before they run out of money do you have to apply. how do they plentize you if they fell the parnet gave away money?

I was told they will go to the person that received the monies.

I don't know how true that is or what they would do if the recipient has spent it and can't give it back.