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Taking care of mom costs money, does Medicaid make any provisions regarding allowable funds not counting in the five-year look back period?

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If you are asking if a parent's funds may be used to pay a child for his or her caregiving efforts without it affecting Medicaid eligibility of the parent, the answer is yes (i) if the payments are equal to the local going rate for such work, (ii) a written contract between parent and child spells out the terms of the work, and (iii) the payments are made on an ongoing basis as opposed to a large up-front lump sum for future services. Notwithstanding that last requirement, there are indeed many states that allow a lump-sum payment for future caregiving services and they will not be deemed a penalty-causing gift subject to the five-year lookback rule. You will need to do further research to find out the rules of your own state in this regard.
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Caregivers are the most underrepresented group in three US. We work 24 hours for no pay, no health insurance, no respite from our situation. If you file for disability you won't qualify if you haven't had a paying job for three last 5 years. We should at least get work credits and be offered medicaid for health insurance. Other groups are getting benefits yet as caregivers w save the gov. Alloy of money by taking care of our parents. And with all the cuts that r coming for the aged and disabled, i just see us gong into more financial ruin.
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I've never heard of any. I think the philosophy is that you do it out of love, which the rest of the family, especially those not contributing anything but roadblocks and manipulation of finances to the care of your parent (or whomever) will be sure to point out when it comes to getting their share of any money left over. Sorry for the cynicism. I think one lady from Canada posted that their healthcare system pays something to keep the person at home because it's less expensive than a nursing home. I wish we did something like THAT here in the US.
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There is a program called cash & counseling. Not every state has it, but family members are payed to be caregivers. In Florida it is called CDCplus and the client must qualify for the medicaid waiver. however, in Fl. Everything is going HMO by December this program will end and the hmo is suppose to have something similar called PDO, but the pilot program has been a nightmare with most clients not receiving the care they need.
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They do something like that here in Illinois it is called "cash and counseling"
Medicaid will pay you for your work and then ask for repayment when you sell the family home. If you sell the home first and try to do "cash and counseling" they will call it a liquid asset, you will have as usual to pay your share of taxes on it, and the rest that are on any work statement.
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Medicaid can always"recoup"their losses, bit most states do not put it into practice, especially if u can claim hardship and they definitely cannot do it if the caregiver lives with the parent. In Florida the program is called Cdc Plus. U can find them on the net cdcplus.org, parents used the program a lot for disabled children.
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I also have a question about Medicaid and taking care of a parent.
I am POA of my Dad who is 5 hours away. I travel there every other weekend and spend 3 to 4 days with him setting up food clothes Dr apt and basicly just checking on his care which has turned out to be a fulltime emotional and physical job. I do have aids part time with him but need to go up and touch base to oversee. Is there a supplement for the caregiver for expenses they take out of pocket and taking time off of work? My Dad is 94.
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All4glorygod, you hit the nail on the head. Caregiving for aging, ill parents is a mentally and financially draining situation. We woorynanoutnwhat my sister has to look forward to whe our parents pass. She heads no job, will probably not find one when the time comes, and no medical for herself. You are right, she does not and will not qualify for disability even though she has a bunch of health issues herself. It is shameful and disgusting that the elderly, born and raised I this country, who contributed to the making of this country have to live and die this way. That is, unless you are mega rich or in the senate, congress or White House.....
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"Cash and counseling? if they are still in their own home. and there only income is Soc. Sec., but the payments are taken off the sale of the house.

If their house was sold and they are living with you, you can take off their part of the rent and utilities, and still get paid.

But it cannot be a lump sum...
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Attorney Heiser: You state that there has to be a contract between my parent and I. What if my mother has moderate dementia and I have her POA? How do I obtain that contract when she doesn't remember anything longer than 10 minutes? I do not have the trust here with me so I don't know if there are provisions for that. Is that contract essential for Medicaid?
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