Get Ready To Be Held Financially Responsible For Your Parents Long Term Care. MUST READ.

[TheMastersNemesis]

If the GOP were to "block grant" Medicaide families, children and offspring would be on the financial hook for long term care of parents paid for by the federal government, state government or Medicaid that is devolved to the states. What the GOP is not telling voters is that families would be saddled with long term care debt should the federal protections of family assets were removed.

The way the law is today is that a parent or relative who goes into a nursing home paid for by Medicaid it is their estate that is ASSESSED for the cost of the care upon their death. That means their assets like any property must be sold and the money given to the state for the cost of care. If the estate does not cover the cost of the care then the rest of the cost is assumed by the state or federal government.

If the GOP removed the federal mandates and protections it would free the state or paying entity to go after the offspring or families of the parent and THEIR assets could be put under LIENS the relatives would be forced to pay for the rest of the debt until it is paid off. That means that all debts incurred for long term care become financial liabilities of the surviving family members. Such a situation could bleed over into the assets of even grandchildren of the parents.

Each state in the US could be free to pursue what ever means or pass whatever laws to recover such costs or debts. Individual states could even pass laws prohibiting bankruptcy from relieving the debt. We know what the GOP did with student loans.

Before the present Medicaid law was passed and federal mandates were established families of relatives put in long term care that was paid for by Medicaide were required to give the state their financial records and the family was given the amount of money they would have to pay. The GOP want to ELIMINATE to federal mandates and turn authority over to the individual states.

EVERYONE MUST BE AWARE THAT "BLOCK GRANTING" MEDICAID MEANS YOUR FAMILY WILL HAVE TO PAY THESE DEBTS AFTER A PARENT PASSES WHO IS IN LONG TERM CARE UNDER MEDICAID. And if Medicaid is abolished then families are on their own when a parent must go into a nursing home. Otherwise the family will have to care for that family member in their home.

My source is the fact that my mother and her sisters were assessed in the `1960's before Medicaid became law with the Medicare law. My mother did not have to pay because she lived out of state at the time. However the GOP could make it possible to pursue relatives out of state as well.

[KT2000]

1. figure about $6,000 per month n/t

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. Voters Really Need To Understand What This Kind Of Change Would Mean.

Gingrich almost got the law change in his budget until Clinton vetoed it. The new budget left it out. The GOPwas furious that Clinton stopped them from basically ending Medicaid in 1996.

[global1]

3. Piling On....

It's not bad enough that children have incurred student loan debts that makes in nearly impossible for them to buy a house - now if their parent would need long term care - they would be on the hook to pay off any debt left over not covered by the parents estate.

The youth better get involved politically and begin to get to the voting booth to prevent things like this from happening to them. I'm sorry - I'm a baby boomer - but I wouldn't want to be in the generations coming up in this country - they are behind from almost before they start. Unless they start getting involved politically and vote for representatives that are sympathetic to their needs - it's going to be a tough life for them.

[TheMastersNemesis]

4. Just About Anyone Under 45 Is Screwed Unless Things Change.

We have to get back to an economy where 1 income can support a family. It is possible but we have to get conservatives out of office altogether.

[Andy823]

5. Yet another reason

We need to make damned sure to vote these assholes out of office, from the House and the Senate, and make damned sure no republican gets into the WH!

If democrats don't get out and vote in 2016 than all the doom and gloom so many here want to complain about on a daily basis will actually become real and if republicans control both branches of congress plus the WH it will be a disaster for the country and the people who aren't millionaires.

Does anyone here really want to see that happen?

[crazylikafox]

6. Thanks for this important info.

I didn't know.

[TheMastersNemesis]

8. When My Mom Went Into A Nursing Home A Lien Was Put On Her House By The State.

Upon her passing the house would have had to been sold and money signed over to the state social service office. As it was the lien was not proper and I was able to keep the house. As it has turned out I have been paying higher and higher taxes on it over the last 14 years so in a way I am paying them back. I need to sell it but it is in a declining neighborhood.

Aslo the GOP changed the rules on "look back" on assets signed over to heirs. It is now very difficult to preserve anything because the rules are so severe and complex. So if a parent goes into a nursing home under Medicaid their assets will be used for expenses.

[kelly1mm]

10. Shouldn't a person's assets be used for their care before the costs of that care are paid

for by the state?

[TheMastersNemesis]

13. That Policy Has Been The Standard. The Point Is About Going After Offspring Assets.

[kelly1mm]

17. Sorry, I was confused then by your second paragraph when you stated:

"Aslo the GOP changed the rules on "look back" on assets signed over to heirs. It is now very difficult to preserve anything because the rules are so severe and complex. So if a parent goes into a nursing home under Medicaid their assets will be used for expenses."

I thought you were objecting to the change in the look back rules. If not then again I am sorry.

[jwirr]

25. Sorry but why shouldn't HER assets be used for HER care? I was around when this law did not

exist. We watched people put grandma in the nursing home where she lived for years on the taxpayers money while the family "inherited" her money. Believe me it was a racket. Even now I think that if grandma wants to there is a time limit for her to pass some of her money on to the family.

My family gladly turned grandma's house over to the county in order to pay for her care. She had worked for it. It was meant for her retirement.

What the OP is telling us is not that the patients assets are in danger - they are already used for the care.

What the OP is warning us about is that they now want the children of the patient to use THEIR own money to pay for their parents care. That is what is new and what we need to fight. Thankfully President Obama will veto it.

[The2ndWheel]

7. It's a unique situation we're heading to

Our system isn't set up for more older people than younger people. Especially when you consider the concept of retirement, which is fairly new in human history, and certainly on a collective scale.

I bet we'll think of all sorts of crazy things to try to keep it going.

[Takket]

9. its already bad enough you have to sell off your home you worked your whole life for

if you need nursing home care, now they want to pile this on top of it?

[kelly1mm]

19. Who should pay for your care then? Part of working and saving your entire life is to be able to

provide for yourself when you can no longer work. If you do not have any way to care for yourself then the state should pay. However, if you can pay for your care the state should not.

I cannot understand why that is not common sense (with spousal life protections - marital assets not turned over to the state till last spouse passes).

[WillyT]

11. HUGE K & R !!! - THANK YOU !!!

[FSogol]

12. I told my kids to push me out on an ice floe when the time comes.

Of course, the GOP is even trying to get rid of all the ice floes too.

[TheMastersNemesis]

14. It Might Come Down To Abandoning Sick Elderly On The Curb.

Of course the GOP plan would be to have the law look one up and force the relatives to pay any way.

[dembotoz]

21. think i might blow my brains out on the courthouse steps

note--THIS IS NOT A SUICIDE NOTE--I AM IN GOOD ENUF HEALTH RIGHT NOW
THIS WOULD BE YEARS FROM NOW WHEN AGE GETS ME.

to remind the bastards what they did
a little theatre-yes that would be nice

[hunter]

15. My parents have given us similar instruction...

... and we've passed it down to our kids.

Score some hard drugs and/or let me sail away in peace.

My favorite plan is to have as much fun as I can if my mind is clear and I'm able to crawl out of bed.

I may expect some assistance from those who love me, not to die, but to do one last very dangerous act of living.

Possibly something "Today is a good day to die" Klingon warrior style, but more likely

[pnwmom]

16. This is a real possibility. You are right that it was only in the 60's that Medicaid

began to pay for nursing home care and that, and in a number of states, "filial responsibility" laws are still on the books.

[dembotoz]

18. mom died in sept. during her declining time i had to stay on top of who was paying for what

i was fortunate(really an odd use for a word in this circumstance) that mom faded quickly and went from rehab to hospice both paid by medicare.

last july "reform" passed by scummy walker went into effect and it became easier for the bastards to claim part of the estate. Going thru probate there is now a form that needs to be signed and notarized whether the dead person used certain programs that now can be billed to the estate.

[kelly1mm]

20. Why would they be 'bastards' to get paid for rendering services to somone who had assets

which could pay for such services?

[TheMastersNemesis]

22. It Is About Going After The Assets Of The Children Or Even Grandchildren.

Do go back to the days when you inherited all the debt of your parents? They used to count even every button. The estate had to be audited to the last piece of dust even to determine the value. Any debt left had to be paid by the offspring.

[kelly1mm]

23. The post I refered to and that you jumped into said the following:

"last july "reform" passed by scummy walker went into effect and it became easier for the bastards to claim part of the estate"

The ESTATE, not the children or grandchildren's assets. The ESTATES assets.

I keep asking why an ESTATE with assets should not pay for the care given to decedent.

I am not a fan at all of familial obligation laws. I am a fan of a person's assets being used to pay their debts after they pass.

[TheMastersNemesis]

24. There Is No Problem With That.

That practice has been customary. The problem is that before Medicaid the state could go after the relative's assets. The federal mandate ended that possibility.

Under the new rules offspring who receives assets from a parent who eventually goes into a nursing home can have those assets clawed back from the state if the parent ends up on Medicaid. There is a look back period that has been exended and there is a catch 22 embedded that creates some issues.

Granted asset assignment has been abused. But the GOP wants to go beyond that person's assets and make the family pay.