income protection limits (When Medicare runs out)

[stumble]

My 80 year old A@A husband has met the 3 day hospital requirement to be transferred to a nursing home for rehabilitation.  If he stays longer he becomes a Medicaid funded resident. I have applied for nursing home Medicaid.   Our income is A@A benefit of $1,066.00 and $883.00 in Social Security for a total of $1,949 a month.   Before the A#A started in December 2009 we lived on the $883.  My friend tells me that if he goes into long term Medicaid funded care the state will put a lien on my property to recoup it's contributions when he dies or comes back home.   I have been trying to  research this and all I've come up with is "income protection limits" which allows a wife to keep some income so she can live (and visit the nursing home).  I would hate to go back to living on  $883 a month especially now that I have a $559.03 mortgage and a $316.00 health insurance policy (which the VA says it will reimburse me in January the health insurance premiums less 5%) 

Does anyone have experience placing your veteran in a nursing home and paying a percentage of your income to the nursing home after Medicare runs out? 

Sandy in FL

[vetadmin]

Stumble.

We are limited to what we can offer as far as insight on this, but the basics is this:

1)   Each state has income minimum, meaning that you can keep anything up to the minimum
2)   A&A continues while he is on Medicaid – although the calculation changes – it is still $1949-833, but you should be getting the       medical insurance premium now, someone screwed that up.
3)   Could be wrong on this, but that lien won’t happen till you as the surviving spouse passes away
4)   VA nursing home, if in the area and rehabbed since the 1990's would be top notch and does not put a lien on the house.

Hope this helps some.

[stumble]

He doesn't qualify for a veterans nursing home because he is neither suffering form combat related injuries or receiving chemo and radiation for cancer.   

Now that he has his three days hospitalization Medicare requirement, physical therapy and speech have decided that he doesn't need rehabilitation. The fact that he can only swallow things less bumpy than mashed potatoes can't get him therapy.

He was discharged Saturday but I am waiting until Monday to get him out thinking there must be something I can do Monday morning to have him transferred to a nursing home instead of home.   

Sandy   

[vetadmin]

Have you looked into a non-VA nursing home.  A&A would be accepted there, and the option of a Medicaid bed if that turns out to be the better option.

[jpez]

NH $4000

ss 800
A&a 1066
total income $1900
4000 minus 1900 = 2100 still owed to nursing home. How does she pay that?
She has to apply for Medicaid. If she applies for Medicaid the the A&A stops and the send 90 instead.

She is allowed to remove his name from the house ans long as she still lives there.
even if the state puts a lien because she left his name on there, they CAN NOT and WILL not evict her to collect the lien.
they will collect the lien when she dies.
Sandy, THe rule you are looking for is SPOUSAL IMPOVERSHMENT in Medicaid.
Also, you should apply for SSI, QMB and EXTRA HELP thru Social Security.
Your income is below the poverty level.