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I always thought that it went straight to the home but I’m not so sure now. My MIL has been in a Medicaid nursing home since October 2020. She had very little assets which were used to set up a funeral trust. Today I got shocked when I received the bank statement and saw that an account was on our statement in the names of my MIL, BIL and my husband. My husband and I have quite a few joint accounts at this bank and I never noticed this account. I’m sure my husband doesn’t even know it’s there but I’m asking here first before I approach him. It was a back page that I just never noticed. Anyway I see a deposit from SS for $731.00 and then checks galore for all different amounts. One check has a note that reads “Withdrawal from JC Penney” “Withdrawal from Loews” “Withdrawal from Medi 5803” and then just a bunch of what appears to be checks cashed against the account. Balance of account is almost $4K. My BIL is the one running the account since my MIL was staying with him before she went into the NH.
Back story my BIL and SIL are train wrecks in the financial area other areas too but I’m only concerned with the financial aspect since it could effect us. OK so would anyone know why someone would still be getting electronic deposits if their LO is in a NH? Also isn’t the balance of almost four thousand dollars a loaded gun so to speak? I am beside myself with this ... really so I appreciate any input someone may have. TIA

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The only time that a SS check goes to a NH is if the person is on Medicaid. If private pay, no need for the NH to receive it. If the person is on Medicaid and the NH is not receiving the SS and any pension the person will have, there will be a balance due on the account. When applying for Medicaid, SS and any pension is put on the application. Medicaids portion of the care is based on that the SS and pension will be paid to the NH. So when no SS/pension is forthcoming there will be a balance due.
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When my mom was in a nursing home & was on Medi-Cal 'Calif' I was POA, her social security was deposited in her bank account. She got a bill each month from nursing home which was mailed to me. Her share of cost for nursing home was all of her monthly social security amount except $35.00.
I wrote the check to nursing home.
Check with nursing home see how they have it set up & check with her Medi-caid social worker. I would investigate why all the names on bank account and who is making withdrawals & payments. If the withdrawals are being done by someone on bank account probably not much you can do, but thats not good. It will affect her if nursing home is not getting paid. Need to investigate.
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Pegshere Sep 2021
Hi thanks for your input ... BIL was the one that made the arrangements for the NH since MIL was living with him. We had no idea this was going on. I doubt NH would speak to anyone but BIL since he made all the arrangements. I’m sure the one making the Withdrawals is my BIL since MIL is incapacitated and I know my husband hasn’t done it. I’m guessing that this is just another one of his vast schemes mostly done out of stupidity but also out of oh wow more money to spend mentality! We washed our hands of him a long time ago for the most part because you can’t fix stupid but because hubbys name is on this “or” account I am bothered by it. Thinking this is an old account that my Mil had that was spent down before she went into the NH. Thought that it was closed actually only now coming to find out it’s not. Going to open the bee hive by having husband call him and ask what’s going on. I’m thinking that he’s not paying the NH spending the money and sitting on a time bomb. I just don’t want to be sitting next to him when it goes off. Hoping because he’s signing everything making all the withdrawals his name is on everything that was signed that this will be his problem and we’ll be in the clear because it’s an old bank account. Making husband call him today! Thanks
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The NH did not set up an account for money to be deposited in without going into the bank?
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Pegshere Sep 2021
BIL did everything. I believe this is an old account that MIL had with BIL and my husband before she went into the NH that was spent down. They used it for her funeral expenses.
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Which one of you has the POA? That's the one with legal authority to dispense the money.
No one has to allow a nursing access to anyone's bank account. It's the right of the nursing home resident and their POA or conservator to not allow this. People have a right to insist on a written bill every month that they then pay for if the person is on cash pay.
What's happening here is that the nursing home is not being paid the demanded amount from your MIL's account. Before you take any action speak to a Medicare representative and her Medicaid caseworker first. If you don't know who her Medicaid caseworker is, demand the nursing home tell you. She has one because the nursing home she's in started her Medicaid application the day she arrived. What could be happening is Medicare is covering some of her days. A person gets up to 100 days a year, every year, paid for by Medicare if they need skilled nursing. Was your MIL in the hospital recently? Did the nursing home upgrade her level of care? They very well might have. What happens here, is the nursing home will take the money from Medicare (if they're paying) and also demand it in cash from a person's bank account.
So it could be that they aren't owed that money.
Please speak with Medicare and her Medicaid caseworker.
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Pegshere Sep 2021
BIL made all the arrangements since she was living with him. Not sure if he has a POA but he’s been the one signing everything somehow. She was in the hospital before and never came home she went straight to the NH. It will be a year in October that she’s been in there. She’s getting physical therapy which I was surprised about since she’s basically at the not getting much better stage at this point. She’s 92 and not a young 92. If it was one or two large checks then I’d figure it was the payment but it’s all different denominations and then Loews, JC Penney’s so it almost seems like BIL is using it as his own personal little piggy bank! I doubt anyone will speak to us since it’s been my BIL all along. I just hope that when this hits the fan it doesn’t include us!
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Your MIL has been in a nursing home for almost a year and (presumably) her FPoA has never received a bill or statement of account seeking payment? Are you sure the money wasn't a deposit for her covid tax incentive? My MIL received those stimulus funds even though she has no way of spending any of it. It was auto deposited.

We live in MN. I did the Medicaid app for my MIL. Her SS checks are auto deposited directly into her one and only bank account. Then the nursing home takes the withdrawal automatically to pay for her LTC. But the NH still sends us an itemized invoice monthly. It's probably different by state because that's how Medicaid is run, by state. FYI we had to reapply for MIL's Medicaid the 2nd year as well on the same anniversary as her first application, so someone in your family needs to figure out what's going on so she doesn't lose her qualification and someone needs to call the NH to find out if they're owed money.
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Pegshere Sep 2021
Yes, I think that the stimulus is is there so maybe being over the $2.000.00 mark is ok. Figuring $1,200 and then $600 right there. But my problem is her SS being deposited into that account and then all these small checks being written out. If there was one or two large checks I’d figure it was the payment but can’t see it this way $200, $50, $175 etc .... Something is definitely wrong! Then to see JC Penney’s, Loews???? What can a bedridden 92 year old need from Loews? I could care less about what they’re doing with this money but my ultimate worry is the NH status! Just hope this jerk of a BIL isn’t messing around and just spending what’s not his!
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No, the person or their power of attorney has to change who social security payment goes to. There is a nursing home bill at this point that will need to be paid, and they won’t care that other bills were being paid by BIL. Once on Medicaid, there is a share of cost that must be paid by patient. Your husband needs to speak with BIL immediately, especially since his name is on account too. Some people choose to keep payments coming to Medicaid person, but the nursing home share of cost must still be paid. They can evict the patient for non-payment and if assets are above Medicaid limit, she can lose Medicaid coverage for nursing home. Ask about it today.
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Pegshere Sep 2021
Not sure if my BIL has POA but he’s the one signing everything. We haven’t signed a thing. I believe the account is an old account that MIL had with BIL and my husband that was spent down on her funeral expenses. We thought the account was closed. Whatever has gone on after the spend down and her going into the NH has all been done by him. Hoping when the bomb hits we won’t feel it. Going to make hubby confront him with this!
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