If you apply to Medicaid, your state will require information from you to show that you are "at need" to be eligible for whatever Medicaid program you are applying for. Medicaid has specfic medical & financial requirement to show that you are "at need" & just what depends on which Medicaid program.
For financials, this is done by an up to 5 year look-back at your financial history. What documents vary by state as each state administers its medical program uniquely but within an overall federal guidelines. In general, 5 years of banking including statements, safe deposit info, any CDs / Tbills; details on any real property ownership (& it's sale or transfer within the past 5 years & where the proceeds went); type of life insurance; your current awards letters from SS & other retirements; information on any trusts, annuities....basically all info on the applicant to make sure they are at-need (basically impoverished) and that no $ gifted to others during the 5 year period. Look back starts the day of the Medicaid application and not the date something was gifted.
Just how deep of a lookback depends on your states rules and how involved the applicants finances were in the past. If your parents has been private pay in IL or an AL for several years, the lookback period could be less.
I dealt with NH Medicaid applications for my mom & mil, and my experience is that it's pretty detailed review - both in looking at what you submitted as well as caseworker running a matchup with tax assessor & state databases; and all the documents required must be turned in with the inital applicatioowing ASAP. If not, the application will be suspended or denied. If this is is a NH application, the NH should have a list of documents needed for the States review & "look back" and also for the NH to themselves review in order to have them admitted as a "Medicaid Pending" resident. My experience was each NH reviews the documents to see if there are any obvious issues with the documents & "look back" period, & if so they may not take then as "pending". Afterwards the NH turns in all documents, application and their initial NH room & board bill to Medicaid via the caseworker assigned to their facility. If there is a problem, state sends out a transfer penalty inquiry letter for finances to the family or a medical history review inquiry to the NH if it's a medical issue.
To me there is no way to get around the 5 year requirement for an individual medicaid application unless they started planning on needing Medicaid 7 years before, worked with an atty to move assets all legal and above board. Not a DIY project.
For financials, this is done by an up to 5 year look-back at your financial history. What documents vary by state as each state administers its medical program uniquely but within an overall federal guidelines. In general, 5 years of banking including statements, safe deposit info, any CDs / Tbills; details on any real property ownership (& it's sale or transfer within the past 5 years & where the proceeds went); type of life insurance; your current awards letters from SS & other retirements; information on any trusts, annuities....basically all info on the applicant to make sure they are at-need (basically impoverished) and that no $ gifted to others during the 5 year period. Look back starts the day of the Medicaid application and not the date something was gifted.
Just how deep of a lookback depends on your states rules and how involved the applicants finances were in the past. If your parents has been private pay in IL or an AL for several years, the lookback period could be less.
I dealt with NH Medicaid applications for my mom & mil, and my experience is that it's pretty detailed review - both in looking at what you submitted as well as caseworker running a matchup with tax assessor & state databases; and all the documents required must be turned in with the inital applicatioowing ASAP. If not, the application will be suspended or denied. If this is is a NH application, the NH should have a list of documents needed for the States review & "look back" and also for the NH to themselves review in order to have them admitted as a "Medicaid Pending" resident. My experience was each NH reviews the documents to see if there are any obvious issues with the documents & "look back" period, & if so they may not take then as "pending". Afterwards the NH turns in all documents, application and their initial NH room & board bill to Medicaid via the caseworker assigned to their facility. If there is a problem, state sends out a transfer penalty inquiry letter for finances to the family or a medical history review inquiry to the NH if it's a medical issue.
To me there is no way to get around the 5 year requirement for an individual medicaid application unless they started planning on needing Medicaid 7 years before, worked with an atty to move assets all legal and above board. Not a DIY project.