Medicaid -- Repaying them after your death

I think you have to use up most of your estate and wealth before you can qualify for Medicaid to start paying. So there would be no need and no way to pay it back.

I'm not sure but I think I recall this being said at one time. Also, I believe it was mentioned that the person should place everything they own in some type of trust which would prevent the government from getting it. Other than this, I really don't know. I would like information on this now that you mentioned it.

You have to meet Medicaid requirements. If you had money and gave it to your children, or who ever, it has to be out of your name for 3 years. That is what I have heard. I have not checked the facts for myself.

No one on Medicaid has an "estate".

In Pa you can have 60,000 in the bank and go into a Medicaid nursing home. Above that you pay. Also, they check back 5 years and any gifts you made to kids or others counts towards the total, so you cant give your kids lots of money and then apply.

There is a monthly amount your parents can have spent the last 5 years and thats ok. So one thing you can do, if they live with you and dont cost much, take the full amount every month in their name and save the extra off the books, like cash. It cant be going from their bank account to yours.

yes, there are income restrictions and restrictions on how much money you can have in a bank account.


but the community spouse may still be living in the couple's home, even if one spouse is in the nursing home.


when the spouse in the nursing home dies, the money can be recovered by Medicaid, and certainly any unpaid portion owed to the nursing home, as well.

This may well make it necessary to sell off the home.

Medicaid does NOT cover all services needed.


I hate this and would love someone to be able to say that the rules have changed....


no one is asked to pay back welfare, but Medicaid - they want you poor at death.

it is to prevent the intergenerational transfer of wealth.

Last Edited by beeches on 11/18/2018 01:50 PM

the lookback period is 5 years.

some people make a Medicaid avoidance trust, placing assets in the control of others.


the real victims are the husbands and wives with their spouse in a nursing facility. They do not wait til the death of the second spouse to collect.

That's certainly the way it was when my mom passed in 2011. She was down to her last couple of thousand and Medicaid was just about to kick in.

Her home was never in her name, as part of a pre-arrangement with the family member who owned the property she built on and thank GOD she pre-paid for her funeral.

After selling off all her belongings, there was enough left for her surviving children (who were all 55+ at the time) to go out for a nice dinner. And we did.

Last Edited by Kamchatka on 11/18/2018 02:06 PM

They do not wait -- Is this true in PA do you know.

The nursing home takes most of the money. Some is money paid to the surviving children or the spouse. The rest goes to the nursing home to pay for your time there.

Parents should think about giving their children their inheritance while they are still alive. 3 years later, if/when the parent dies, then the govt can't come after the kids' inheritance, providing there's anything left by then.

For instance, a surviving parent, a mother, can give her 2 children all of her money when she reaches age 80 and is in good health. She will live on her social security. If by age 87 she can no longer take care of herself, then she can enter a nursing home and the government will take her social security to pay the nursing home and leave her a percentage for personal items: hair cuts, etc.