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https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/10/when-medicaid-takes-everything-you-own/596671/

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I think it is an interesting article. The sad thing is that the woman who will likely lose her home will now be destitute and dependent on the Government for help as well. So it will remain, as I like to say "Our tax dollar at work".
I always remember my Dad. Worked so very hard all his life; often at two jobs, a little Motel he had with my Mom, and in the winters at the Airplane Factory in Wichita. Such a hard worker. Such a decent and kind man. And his motto was "I am going to work hard, pay my family's way best I can as long as I can. I am going to save all I can. I am going to absolutely love to pay my taxes, and I am going to hope that I am the guy still able to work, NOT the guy who needs the helping hand of my taxes."
He was a believer in Insurance as well. Would say "I am going to get the best insurance out there and hope it is some other poor guy who has to use up the money I put in".
He was the sort of man who sat at the picnic table trying to pick bottle caps off the ground saying "kid. Always leave a place a little better, a little cleaner than you found it".
I hear him every day. He was born in 1906 and lived into his 90s. Never needed to use that tax money or that helping hand or that Insurance money, either. Fell dead asleep in his easy chair watching Monica Lewinsky on Larry King Live, with a smile on his face.
I don't remember him ever even getting a parking ticket.
But this is what I remember most. Kind. He was so exceptionally kind. He always had stories the depression when he tried to help the whole family and the guy selling pencils, too. He had a job. He considered himself not smart, not hardworking. He considered himself LUCKY.
My bro worked as a Waiter all his life. Got nigh on close to a million with careful saving and with, as he says, REAL good luck being well, being born when he was and to who he was born to. Likely he will be able to see himself out without needing the help of our Government. He hopes so. He is so ready to go. But I know he doesn't begrudge the help he gives.
I used to do double shifts. I made huge amounts of money because San Francisco paid nurses more than any city in the entire country. I imagine it still does. And of course I paid a huge amount of that in taxes. And I came home waving that fat check saying "Look at this; doing work I would do for free, making a ton of money. Uncle Bill (Clinton) is happy. I am happy. We are ALL happy". I retired at 62 and am 77 now. I have already got from our government SO MUCH MORE than I ever put into it.
We all have our feelings, have our beliefs, have our politics. I am pretty happy with mine. I am pretty happy letting the next fellow have his, and hoping he has a good, good day.
I hear on the forum a lot that people do not understand the possibility of losing the home they live in, often already old and disabled themselves after decades taking care of an elder. I also hear some greedy siblings at war over not dead yet parents. So we run the gamut here, I guess.
And on we go.
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Medicaid isn’t pure charity. For goodness sake! Surely we’ve not all been living under a rock? How can it be charity when many people have to pay a monthly premium for their Medicaid? The working poor don’t get free health care courtesy of Medicaid. They have premiums and/or a share of cost. Their taxes also help fund Medicaid.
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To Katiekat, The article pretty much stated facts of what has happened to these people, I'm not sure why you found it biased one way or the other.
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I don't know why anyone would think the government shouldn't recover for payments made by Medicaid. And I didn't like the comparison to Medicare. Medicare was PAID INTO by its recipients. Medicaid is pure charity!
Regarding the guy in Tennessee, Medicaid can only recover HALF of the property (her half, not his).
This is article is from a far left leaning "rag" whose beliefs are "the government" should pay for everything for everybody from birth to death.
If you want to keep Mom's belongings, don't put her on Medicaid!
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Interesting. I like the Atlantic's articles. I'd say it's reasonable to expect some assets to be taken for Medicaid reimbursement. I mean, we all pay into Medicaid, but it has to reclaim monies sometimes to stay financially solvent. It's necessary so the program remains able to continue helping.
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Thank you for sharing the article.
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AlvaDeer, thank you so much for the link to that article. It was an eye opener for me because I thought Medicaid recovery was for only those who were living in a nursing home and Medicaid was paying. I didn't realize a lien could happen if someone is using Medicaid as a health insurance, and not living in a nursing home.

I can see both sides of the story. Without Medicaid Recovery then the States would either cut back big time on Medicaid or raise everyone's taxes to make up the difference.

I am more than happy to raise my taxes to help those who have fallen on bad times through no fault of their own. But I will be darn if I pay taxes for someone who spent their life keeping up with the Jones and have no savings because of it.
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Alva,
I saw this article the other day but didn’t get to read it then. Thanks for posting the link. It’s sad but true.
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