Bill would limit efforts to recoup Medi-Cal costs from patients' estates

[proverbialwisdom]

Source: by STUART PFEIFER, LA Times

June 5, 2015, 4:00 a.m.

The state's Medi-Cal program has long looked to the estates and heirs of deceased Californians to recoup public money spent on their healthcare in the last years of life.

But the practice — including suing survivors and filing liens against the homes of poor families — is coming under attack in Sacramento.

On Thursday, the state Senate approved, 33 to 0, a bill by state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) to order major changes in the Medi-Cal recovery program. It now goes to the Assembly.

If signed into law, Senate Bill 33 would limit the state's ability to go after homes "of modest value," allowing survivors hardship exemptions for homes with fair market value of 50% or less of the county average. It would also prohibit seeking money from the estates of surviving spouses.


Read more: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/1780/article/p2p-83708981/

[C Moon]

1. That's an ugly topic. I feel for families that are sued after their loved ones pass on. :(

It must be like a slap in the face.

[KT2000]

2. Surviving spouses change is a good move

for many elderly couples, the first one to become seriously ill burns through all the assets with medical and nursing home costs. The surviving spouse - usually the woman is destitute and goes straight to Medicaid when her time comes.

[Big_Mike]

3. Try having a wife become deathly ill in her late 20's

and who passes in her late 40's. All these wonderful "support" programs like IHSS and Medi-Cal are there for 20 years or so, but no one ever advises you about this law until it is much too late. It is not enough to be pushed into bankruptcy due to medical bills, which were supposed to be paid off by insurance purchased 25-30 years ago. Everything got sucked up by "recovery" by the bastards in Sacramento. And the State, being the State, declares itself the first in the line of creditors. And try to include them in the bankruptcy - good luck there.

Another reason I say fuck this state! The family was Californicated!

[KT2000]

4. you should move if possible

Maybe Washington or Oregon would be better.
I'm sorry you had to go through this on top of the loss of you wife.