My mother needs LTC/nursing home. An application has been submitted in Massachusetts for "Mass Health". We have drawn down her assets to just SS and her pension, more or less. She is married so we transferred major assets to her spouse. I found a LTC facility and they have a bed in a semi-private room and I'd like to get her admited there asap. I have all of the other required documents. I am meeting them at the facility on Tuesday, but any advice related to this is welcoe.
If the pension is keeping her above the limit, she may need to participate in something like a Miller Trust, where her "excess" assets go and then if she is approved for Medicaid, when she passes away all those funds go to the state to cover the cost of her care.
If - and not to be harsh - but if you made this basic of a mistake, what else did you misinterpret and get wrong in the other things you did??!!!
As a very first step in this find out exactly what MA has for income max and for asset max AND IF your mom is at or below this. Most States do $2829 income and 2K assets are they each must be in a bank account that is only the applicants. Although she can have her POA as a signatory on the account and have it POD or TOD to the POA. You will need banking statements clearly showing her beginning and ending a month within both income and nonexempt assets limits.
Your dad as the CS community spouse is allowed his own income totally (which should not be themselves an issue for moms income unless his is over the allowed CS income max set in your State) and on assets it will have its own maximum for both exempt asset like their single home and nonexempt assets like $ as savings & investments. This gets totally determined by your State….. some are generous and allow 130k or more as nonexempt assets for a CS while others has it at a max of 65K or less. Doing CS / NH divvy up is not at all simple.
Personally I would not have ever - EVER - tried to DIY this as it’s all pretty precise and there are other spouse related details that need to be reviewed for changes as well. Like if Dad could file for CSRA or MMNA and if you have no idea what those acronyms mean, please pls STOP - absolutely STOP -and get with a CELA level of attorney before you submit the application. If you have miscalculated and filed, then as far as I aware your folks (& you) are stuck with where the $ shakes out at as for these type of CS / NH applications. LTC Medicaid tends to do a fixed “snap shot” date for all their income and assets for both that eligibility based on set by that fixed date.
ALSO…
if they have 2 cars, that will be an issue as only 1 car allowed. And its value will have a limit.
if their homestead is over whatever MA has for max value as based on its current Tax Assessor/ Collector bill for it to be considered exempt, she will be ineligible. Does not matter that he’s living there. This is a very real issue right now for those dealing with LTC Medicaid as property values have skyrocketed even for what would have been considered a hovel in the past as its land value is high.