What if you don't have long term health care??? Can a Nursing home take your home?? If the house is in the person's name that does not have hd, would that be concidered the asset of the person who is admitted to a nursing home?? Or would Medicare cover the Nursing home?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2009 02:18PM by Edwina.

Medicare only pays up to the 1st 100 days (and that's only as long as the person was admitted to the LTC facility directly from a hospital) Medicare will pay up to 100 days as long as the person is doing what they say and making progress. If they stop cooperating at the facility or do not make progress to be "rehabilitated" then medicare stops paying.

After 100 days you are talking MEDICAID. All depends on who "the other person" is that owns the home. Is it the Spouse? Then Medicaid doesn't want estate recovery on the home at all as long as the home is placed in the name of the Community spouse it is there's to do with what they want (but, remember if the spouse "gives" away money or the home, the spouse had better not need Medicaid themselves within the "lookback" period which in most states is now currently 5 years. The person in the LTC facility cannot have resources of more than $2000 to be medicaid eligible. (again, this does not included money a spouse may have) The spouse is allowed to keep a large portion of resources.

The NH doesn't do anything like that. The NH takes a patient and the patient pays for the stay.

The stay isn't "free". If the patient needs the care, and can't pay, that person needs to qualify for "medicade". It's a little different from state to state, but the basic qualification is that the person have less than $2000 in an estate (as a general rule).

Once someone is admitted from a hospital into a nursing home, the social workers at the NH help do the paperwork.

If the person has more than $2000, that estate must be "paid down" to $2000 in order to qualify.

In some states, and I really don't know how many, they have a "spousal protection" clause. The state will divide the assets of the couple and isolate what is owned (in liquid assets) to the person in the NH. All of those assets must be used to relieve the debt owed to the NH until the $2000 threashold is reached. At that time, the person qualifies for Medicade and the state pays.

The rest is held by the spouse, so the spouse can continue to live in the home. There are certain restrictions, like you can only have one house, etc.

If the spouse at home dies, the home / estate then transfers to the state and they sell it to pay for the NH.

If the spouse in the NH dies, the state goes away.

Does that help?

Ok, If I purchase LTHC, that would be in our best interest, as then the bills could get paid, and we would not lose our property.

My only problem would now be the best company that doesn't overcharge for insurance, and will pd for LTC if needed.

I want to start calling around as soon as possible and get everything in place.

I am wonering if I could get some names of companies that would be best for me to call. I will need to compare some.

Thanks,

Edwina

I think you need to find out more about how this is handled in your state to help you make decisons. Fred gives sound advice. I would consult an elder care attorney in your state. Initial consultations are often free or inexpensive.

Or you could just call the DHS in your county and find out from them for free.

That's what I did. Just schedule an appointment with them and talk to someone. They may be able to answer questions like this over the phone.

They are civil servants, and you are the public, so they are YOUR servants