An elder law attorney did my mother's Medicaid application for far less than $10-20K. More like $1500 as I recall. Yep, I could have done it myself but it was one less thing off my plate and helps avoid the little glitches with the gummit people that can delay things by weeks with the back and forth. You don't want to test the LTC facility's patience while they are waiting for Medicaid payments to kick in. Even with the attorney, I had to spar with them because of the amount of time it took for Medicaid to be approved. They're understaffed you know. And, as I mentioned, the funds came from my mother's account which helped facilitate the spend down necessary for her to become eligible for Medicaid. You can't even send in the application until the applicant is dead broke or they'll just send it back to you.I did my MIL's Medicaid application and it wasn't that difficult. I certainly wouldn't pay a lawyer 10 to 20k to do it.I don't have much more to add than what's already been posted, except that you're probably going to need to consult with an eldercare attorney soon. A net worth of $100K doesn't last very long when a nursing facility costs $10K a month or more (YMMV). And keep in mind that you will probably pay an eldercare attorney $10-20K to do a Medicaid application. (And by "you", I mean your MIL -- she should pay for it, not you. Because you can always spend money on her later, but her liquid assets are going to be depleted anyway if she lives long enough, so she might as well be paying for the eldercare attorney.)
To the OP. Finding a caring attorney who specializes in elder issues is vital, and stress to the attorney that they represent your Mil, and not the family. Visit every facility in the area to see how they compare for quality, staffing, and cleanliness. My Mil had about 145k in savings when she entered her skilled nursing facility, which charged $8,500 a month for a small shared room (2010). She ran out of her own money after less than 1.5 years and transitioned to Medicaid. She lived for another 4 years on Medicaid until she died at age 94.
If you are the one doing the application be aware that social service agents greatly appreciate honesty, and will reward you for it. Disclose everything and you'll be fine. Your MIL will be able to keep a small amount of income, about $25 a month if I remember correctly, with a bank balance of less than $2,000 (California). The rules may vary on the amounts allowed depending on the state she is in.
If I had any further advice it would be to document every source of income and all agencies or businesses that your MIL is connected to for future reference when she passes. Go through all of her records and ask her about any discrepancies you find, but do it with compassion. Make sure to file her taxes every year, even if she doesn't owe anything.
Good luck.
Statistics: Posted by RationalWalk — Thu Jun 06, 2024 12:07 am — Replies 38 — Views 4066