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How low should moms resources get before I start the application process for Medicaid? And about how long does it take to complete the process and start receiving coverage?

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JoAnn
I am the care giver for my 93 yr old aunt who has dementia. I live in NJ. We own a home together in MD. Do you think this is a concern for applying for Medicaid?
thanks
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It would be great if not having to apply for medicaid all. It makes me sick that illegals from all over the world, not just south of the border, come here and jump on welfare and given everything having to prove nothing. US citizens are not so lucky going back 5 years on us! I also think it is horrendous how the elderly get ripped off.

We had to get medicaid for my mom in memory care. She had to go to a nursing home for two months for approval. They almost killed her in there. The money everybody wanted to get her approved was just outlandish. We had no choice and it took a good bit of her money. She recently got a settlement. Everybody gets paid but my mom! The lawyers, Medicare got paid back for services she was covered for and paid into all her working life. The settlement has to go into a pooled trust because of Medicaid. The settlement wouldn't last a year paying for memory care. And whoever else got paid, got paid. My mom gets nothing and she is the one in a wheelchair the rest of her days!

If you can avoid medicaid do it. If you can't avoid it then you just can't. Care in a facility is expensive and I certainly see why. I don't fault them for it. It takes special people to do this work. God bless them too.
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Segoline Jan 2019
Please keep politics to yourself. We don't need them here. We deal with enough as it is.
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You are allowed to own $2K in countable assets. Be prepared for the 5 year look back.
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In my state, liquid assets (money) had to be spent down below $2,000. I will give you the best advice since I went through this with my mother and that is to go to DHHS and ask them that question. I also paid $150.00 to speak with an elder law attorney which made me feel better. If the parent owns a home or land, that is an asset here too in our state but my parents had deeded the property to their adult children in a life estate over 5 years before my Mom entered the nursing home so the house was excluded from countable assets. Arm yourself with knowledge and you will be okay. There is a lookback period in our state which is 5 years and the parent cannot gift money to their kids during that time. Hope this helps. It can be overwhelming.
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I recommend starting as soon as your LO may medically qualify in your state. The Area Council on Aging (ACoA) can send a social worker for an in home visit to asset whether your LO is/may be medically qualified, then you can start the financial qualification process. ACoA encouraged me to start the process for my mother after I inquired about adult day care offerings in our area following a recent fall. I had assumed my mother would not financially qualify because my parents still have a nice bank balance and a small rental property. Because my father is in private pay MC, my mother may financially qualify during his lifetime with a wavier. At my father's death, any bank balance would need to refund the state for Mom's services, the state attaches a lien on the rental property and Mom would need to financially re-qualify. I was also surprised to find out that in Tennessee, rental property that is generating an income doesn't necessarily have to be sold to qualify for Medicaid so long as the income is needed for the LO's living expenses.

Remember that several states provide in home support services before people enter nursing homes. The adult day care, home visit nursing, ADL/bathing assistance, and respite care hours can make a big difference in ease and quality of care while still living at home. Medicaid makes these services available because (1) it's cheaper to support the family's in home care than have the LO enter a more expensive NH and (2) support for the state's elderly population.

It looks like my mother will qualify for 30 hours of day care (with transportation), 20 hours of respite care, 4 hours of bathing/ADL assistance, and a nursing visit each week. Not all of this is Medicaid related, the day care program is funded from a federal/state grant but the ACoA is handling getting it all set up. Contact ACoA; the worst case is a "no" that doesn't leave you any worse off and you may be surprised at the help that is available.
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Medicaid is incredibly complex, and even "spend down" has many stipulations with a five-year "look back" law. Estate planning is essential, especially if your mom has a house. Each state has their own unique stipulations. Best to see an eldercare attorney. Be mindful anything that goes into probate WILL be seized by Medicaid known as an estate recovery law. Of course Medicaid will not tell you that. They like to surprise you.
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From the time you apply (in NJ) I think its 60 days maybe 90. You apply and by the time you start to receive Medicaid, you must show a spend down to 2k.

With my Mom she private paid for two months, 18k, May and June. July Medicaid took over her care. She had under 500 in her acct. If you don't spend down in that time and find a facility, you have to start all over.

Best thing is to call your local office and see what their rules are. Each state is different.
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