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R
robben Asked January 2018

What if we don't want to apply for Medicaid in the future?

lucyinthesky Jan 2018
BarbBrook
Yes Barb that's why I am not so anxious to spend down to minimum prematurely.

BarbBrooklyn Jan 2018
And while you might not be going "yipee" about putting mom or dad in a facility, having the funds to private pay, even if you can only do it for a year or two, opens up a MUCH wider choice of facilities.

We were quite fortunate that after mom broke her hip (after the stroke), we encountered a caring and talented discharge planning RN at the hospital. After some preliminaries, she asked about mom's resources, which POA brother and I BOTH bristled at (boy were WE stupid!). MBA SIL (who'd been down this road with her own parents) was able to rattle off the contents of mom's CDs from memory; RN sent us to look at a better group of homes that would accept Medicaid after a minimum of two years private pay.

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cwillie Jan 2018
I doubt you can find anyone who said "whoopie, I get to go live in a nursing home now!!" or "oh goodie, we can put mom and dad in a facility!!". The thing is life happens, and even with the best planning and good intentions sometimes we need to place someone in a facility, it is wise to plan for the possibility even while you hope it isn't necessary.

Katiekate Jan 2018
Simple...as long as you are certain that she will never need to apply, then you just go on about doing what needs doing,

Keep good records.

My Mom has great in-home health care insurance, and plenty of investments. I figured out that with a 10% annual increase in her costs, she could continue as she was for 10 years before exhausting her means. It was close to impossible she could have lasted that long given the serious medical conditions she had.

So, plan carefully. Keep good financial records.

BarbBrooklyn Jan 2018
Just so you calculate accurately, Nursing Home Care in my mom's area was $12K per month. Mom was in the NH from October 2013 until her death this past. August, so nearly 4 years.

If your loved one has the income and assets ( and perhaps Long Term Care insurance to pay for that level of care, then they won't need to apply for Medicaid.

Another complication to factor in is whether or not there is a spouse living outside the NH who needs income to pay living expenses.

jeannegibbs Jan 2018
What is your question, robben? No one has to apply for Medicaid. If there are sufficient resources to self-pay for care, the person would not be eligible for Medicaid.

surprise Jan 2018
Not a problem. We have not applied for Medicaid for mthr since she saved enough. If she falls short I'd have a hard time justifying raiding my retirement or my kids' college funds to pay for her care, though.

Keep good records of what she spends. I'm the POA and I have every receipt for what she's needed. My atty has guided me in what I am allowed to do, such as dispose of her house, gift a property, and sell land. You want to be sure that any siblings understand the implications of a POA and protect yourself from accusations of fraud or elder abuse.

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