Yes, I too wonder how the Medicaid application was done. You should be the Community Spouse and as such get enough of his SS to pay your living expenses or even all of it. Your assets should have been split.
Yes to your question. If he comes home then his SS should come with him. But, it will be up to him, if of sound mind, to contact SS or you. Don't leave it up to the NH to make the call.
Could there be an issue with how his Medicaid application was done? Medicaid does not require you as the community spouse to also become impoverished, only your hubs needs to. You are allowed to keep a certain amount of your own assets - most states have this at about 127K - and your income does not factor into his income up to a certain threshold (I think it’s @ 3k a mo for most states). But you have to file documents to Medicaid to substantiate that you need $ beyond your own resources to get some of his monthly income - like his SS$- waived so that it can be diverted to you & not all paid to the NH as the copay. Its called CSRA or MMNA... Community Spouse Resource Allowance / Monthly Maintenance Needs Assessment/ Allowance.
When your hubs did his Medicaid application, did you include your expenses related to your being a “community spouse”? It would be your living costs, like mortgage / rent, taxes, insurance etc. If you have extraordinary health costs or prescription drug costs, you’d include those costs as well. It’s all about documentation as to what you need financially to continue to stay living in the “community” and that you need some of his $ in order to do this, should the figures show this is the case. Think of it as kinda like alimony.
So did anything like this happen within his application? Doing a LTC Medicaid application can be pretty daunting for most of us doing it for our parents. For a spouse, it would be quite overwhelming. If it’s that he really needs to continue to stay in a NH for his health and safety, I’d suggest that you speak with his Medicaid caseworker to go over his application to review it for appropriately taking into consideration your possible CSRA needs.
Yes, I believe his SSI will be restored if he's no longer living in the nursing home. But you need to think long & hard about taking your spouse home again............it's a HUGE job to care for someone alone and replace an entire staff of people working 24/7 who were doing it at the SNF! According to your profile, your DH suffers from Alzheimer's/dementia which makes the job of caring for him 100x harder, even!
Before you do anything, consult with an elder care attorney and also read a lot on this forum about people who are SO overwhelmed caring for a loved one with dementia at home that they're beside themselves. Educate yourself BEFORE you pull him out of there!
He was discharged from hospital to skilled nursing after spending a week due to a Horrible Bactrim reaction. I always wanted to bring him home. Because of Covid I could not go in the nursing home to see him. I saw him for 30 min a day,outside, 6'apart, both wearing masks. The nurses, therapists,etc. all told me I could NOT take care of him. So I got a job at the facility so I could see him The first day, I knew I could not leave him there and have actually brought him home. We have hospice but no sitters and He is doing GREAT!! I had an elder lawyer prepare his Medicaid application. Medicaid is still pending. Of course, Medicare paid the 1st 100 days. He was there for 120 days total.
Yes to your question. If he comes home then his SS should come with him. But, it will be up to him, if of sound mind, to contact SS or you. Don't leave it up to the NH to make the call.
When your hubs did his Medicaid application, did you include your expenses related to your being a “community spouse”? It would be your living costs, like mortgage / rent, taxes, insurance etc. If you have extraordinary health costs or prescription drug costs, you’d include those costs as well. It’s all about documentation as to what you need financially to continue to stay living in the “community” and that you need some of his $ in order to do this, should the figures show this is the case. Think of it as kinda like alimony.
So did anything like this happen within his application?
Doing a LTC Medicaid application can be pretty daunting for most of us doing it for our parents. For a spouse, it would be quite overwhelming. If it’s that he really needs to continue to stay in a NH for his health and safety, I’d suggest that you speak with his Medicaid caseworker to go over his application to review it for appropriately taking into consideration your possible CSRA needs.
Before you do anything, consult with an elder care attorney and also read a lot on this forum about people who are SO overwhelmed caring for a loved one with dementia at home that they're beside themselves. Educate yourself BEFORE you pull him out of there!
All the best
Why do you want his social security?