Is there an alternative to cashing all a person's life insurance policies over to a funeral parlor to qualify for Medicare?

I'm not sure what Alex Trebeck knows about the entire situation, but he certainly isn't a US attorney specializing in Eldker Law!

Mother will be able to ensure that her children will not be burdened with her funeral or memorial service expenses. Medicaid allows money to be set aside for that.

But Medicaid is not considered a simple right in this country. It is considered welfare. It is for poor people. (Which huge numbers of middle class citizens become by the end of our lives.) Therefore it is not available to people who have enough money to set aside to give to their children (or charities or friends or anyone else.) I understand how sad this makes people feel when they have been doing their best to be able to hand off a legacy, but it is the new reality.

My husband died more than 3 years ago. There was no insurance to help me over the transition to widowhood -- he was on Medicaid as we dealt with his dementia for ten years.

Definitely have your mother consult an Elder Law attorney as she applies for Medicaid. Yes, that will cost money. But it will ensure that she gets all the breaks she is entitled to.

These no such thing as inheritance anymore for most of us, as Glad mentioned, people are out living their monies anymore, as almost everyone eventually ends up Nursing Care of dome sort, even only a year or two, cane easily wipe out 3-4 hundred thousand dollars, and most of parents didn't have that kind of money behind them, heck, a lot of Us don't have that kind of money behind us! Unless you are truly wealthy, our LO's will probably spend all of their money in their lifetime on Senior care living expenses. I've already come to grips with it! It does Suck! While we aren't in it for the money, after caring for our loved ones, and giving up years of our lives (12+ years and counting), it would be nice to have some reward at the end, and generally our LO's intend and hope to be able to leave us some money, but its probably not going to happen!

To qualify for Medicaid? Sign everything, I guess means cash vale of a whole life policy, which isn't much in comparison to face value. But, yes that is the way it is? Their assets must be down to $2,000.00 to qualify for Medicaid. The penalty of living too long. Facilities get all the assets and the inheritance is gone.