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R
roykev77 Asked August 2010

I have a joint checking account with Mom. Are they entitled to all the money in this account?

Mom's in a nursing home on public aide.

EXPERT Ralph Robbins Sep 2010
If your mother is receiving Medicaid nursing home benefits I am surprised the case worker let you keep your name on her account. Typically they require that the account be in her name only.

Even though the account is joint, Medicaid will consider all the funds contained therein your mother's unless you can prove that contributed half the value of the account.

Understand that all of mother's income (save $35 per month in most states) must go her cost of care, i.e., the nursing home. She is permitted to retain $2,000 assets.

Austin's reply above really doesn't apply to your circumstances as her husband was not on Medicaid at the time. Moreover, the rules are different for spouse transfers than for those between a parent and sibling.

195Austin Sep 2010
Ihad a joint checking account with my husband and he threatened to take all our assests and put in his-while he was in rehab so I opened a checking account in my name and was going to transfer all the automatic withdrals and deposits but he got real sick and died so I would close that account and put the money into another account with just your name but would ask an account or elder lawyer in your area if you can do that -I called an officer in my bank and I was allowed to do it.

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