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joycee1 Asked January 2019

Question on Medicaid; If you have more than $2,000 can they take it?

It is my understanding you can only have $2,000 in cash or in bank? If you have more they take it, is that the rule?

igloo572 Jan 2019
For an individual LTC Medicaid recipient, the 2k in exempt assets cannot be held as cash. It needs either to be in a bank account solely in their SS# &/or held within their personal needs trust account at the NH ( this too has their SS# and is reportable to the state).

if your state does an annual renewal, state can ask for months of that years bank statements and current NH trust account balance. If combined they go over 2k, her eligibility can be suspended.

if this is a community spouse/ NH spouse situation, the details on $ is complicated. Really you need to speak with a savvy elder law atty. & ideally BEFORE applying for Medicaid. Cause if $ needs to move it kinda has to happen before application filed. Medicaid for couples does a snapshot day to which all income & assets are affixed.

JoAnn29 Jan 2019
Because your married and you are the Community Spouse you need to talk to Medicaid. Now this is basic, every situation is different. Medicaid will look at your assets. You will not be made impoverished. You will be able to stay in the home and have a car. It will be determined how much of husbands SS and pension, if any, will go to offset his care. In my GFs parents situation, their assets, minus SS, were 60k. Half was husbands half was wifes. So the 30k husband (who was in LTC) was allowed had to be spent down to 2k or below before Medicaid started paying for his care.

If u get nowhere with Medicaid, then u may need a lawyer versed in Medicaid to help you.

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worriedinCali Jan 2019
No that’s not the rule. And the rule depends on whether it’s long term care Medicaid (if your husband is going into a nursing home) or Medicaid Health insurance. In either case Medicaid doesn’t just take the money in your bank account. If it’s LTC Medicaid, you can generally have $2k in the bank. Anything over that, you spend down until you reach $2k. If you are over the income limits, you may be able to set up a Miller trust or qualified income trust depending on your state and the excess income will go into the bank account for the trust. Medicaid is the beneficiary of the trust. The money will still go towards the persons care and then whatever is left when the person dies, goes to Medicaid.

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