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Decaturite86 Asked February 2019

Can you provide justification for transfer 'gifts' during the '5 year look back period' for a Medicaid application?

My mother has fairly advanced dementia and can't really do anything for herself anymore. I have been making monthly transfers from my mother's account to mine to reimburse myself for the cost of her care. I have bank statements and invoices showing payments made by me to the assisted living facility she was staying at, as well as for rent and groceries, medications, doctors, etc. since she has been living with me. The amount of the monthly transfers is not even enough to cover what I spend on her care every month.


I'm expecting the 5 year look back period to flag these transfers. I have a signed and notarized financial POA dated before all this begun, but from what I've read, that doesn't matter? I've searched the internet high and low and can't find anything about providing documentation in the form of bank statements, invoices, etc, to justify transfers by proving they were made to pay for someone's care. Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this and know if these types of documentation are going to stop a Medicaid (time) penalty from being incurred? Or do they just look at it at face value and don't care what it was used for? This is assuming no personal care agreement is in place.

Segoline Feb 2019
Joann and igloo know some chit, man. Take heed.

Best to you.

JoAnn29 Feb 2019
You transferred monies for AL from her account to yours? Why? Were u paying some of her AL costs?

I liquidated all Moms assets and put them into her account. I paid everything from her account. Reimbursed for items I bought on my credit card and kept receipts.

In my instance, out of 5 yrs of statements Medicaid only pulled 4 a year. So that would narrow down what you need to prove. Your problem maybe paying yourself if there was no contract written up.
Decaturite86 Feb 2019
I erred in not having a contract because I didn't know about that at the time but I was and am financial/durable POA. The AL cost more than her SS check every month so that's why I paid out of my account and reimbursed what I could. Then she moved in with me and I also pay rent from my account. I don't think of it as 'paying myself', but as reimbursing myself, but don't know if Medicaid will see it that way.

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Wuvsbears Feb 2019
Decaturite86 I may be able to explain it to you.

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