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@lauren1128 This is a good example of why we need pubic information about Medicaid eligibility. Although I know that 13 states don’t take a spouses retirement into account (maybe it is limited by amount…I’m not positive) I just spent way too long on a Google search and could not find this information although we were just told this in a lawyer’s office. Medicaid eligibility is so convoluted for a reason I expect. It’s immoral that middle income spouses have to be able to come up with thousands to pay an attorney to find out how to not go bankrupt when a surviving spouse is involved.
Replies to "@lauren1128 This is a good example of why we need pubic information about Medicaid eligibility. Although..."
Everyone costs a lot of money for the help they give. Medicaid is a tough egg to crack. Like you, I would like to know more about the five year look back so I can act accordingly.
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When it comes to sorting out insurance and eligibility for assistance, there is no one place to point a finger of blame (nor would it do any good.) If someone had a crystal ball 75 or 100 years ago, and could foresee what a complex situation this would become, perhaps a different approach would have been taken.
Remember, Medicare for seniors and Medicaid for the poor only became the law in 1965. And although the Federal Government undertook the job of setting up and providing Medicare alongside Social Security and charging a premium to do so. However Medicaid is jointly funded by the Federal government and and each state, and there are vast differences in the programs available and eligibility for coverage.
I wish there was a way to provide public information like you and many others could use. But the problem is that Medicaid eligibility is that it is hugely complex, varies from state to state, and is different depending upon the age, disability status, household membership, VA, Medicare and other insurance coverage...
This is just one of the many complexities of a medical insurance system that has grown out of a variety of regulatory systems - all 50 states, the Federal government and the insurance industry (both non-profit & for profit) have all contributed.
Here is an example of the information available in Minnesota:
https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/health-care/health-care-programs/programs-and-services/medical-assistance.jsp
Iowa:
https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/welcome-iowa-medicaid/iowa-medicaid-state-plan
Texas:
https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/health/medicaid-chip/medicaid-chip-programs-services/programs-seniors-aging
There is no doubt that this is a daunting task, and many of us who care for friends and family members regularly spend hours doing the paperwork. But the alternative back in the 1950's and 1960's when my oldest relatives needed financial help was to live with and rely on family or receive charity-based care. The story was very much different in the 1990's and 2010 when I needed to find help for our mothers after they outlived their assets!
I often suggest that people who are overwhelmed with the paperwork ask their kids or grandkids to help - it can be done even by a family member living 1000 miles away.
Sue