Medicaid covers long-term nursing
home expenses. But you may have to spend down assets to qualify. Is there a way
to work the system?
Stacy
Johnson • October 7, 2019
Welcome
to your “2-Minute Money Manager,” a short video feature answering money
questions submitted by readers and viewers.
Today’s
question is about paying for nursing home care; specifically, how to get
Medicaid to pick up the tab without having to surrender all your savings.
Watch
the following video, and you’ll pick up some valuable info. Or, if you prefer,
scroll down to read the full transcript and find out what I said.
You
also can learn how to send in a question of your own below.
For
more information, check out “9 Ways to Prepare Loved Ones for Their Golden Years”
and “7 Facts You Need to Know About Medicare.” You
can also go to the search at the top of this page, put in the word “retirement”
and find plenty of information on just about everything relating to this topic.
And if
you need anything from a better
credit card to help with debt, be sure and visit our Solutions
Center. You’ll also find help with Social Security there.
Got a
question of your own to ask? Scroll down past the transcript.
Don’t want to watch? Here’s what I said in the video
Hello,
and welcome to your “2-Minute Money Manager.” I’m your host, Stacy Johnson, and
this two-minute answer is brought to you by Money Talks
News, serving up the best in personal finance news and advice since
1991.
Today’s
question comes from Diane:
“Will
you please tell me if there’s a way to prevent the nursing home from taking all
of your money when you go into it?”
Well,
Diane, I’ve got three things for you:
Thing No. 1: Medicare doesn’t care
If you
need long-term care in a nursing home, it’s going to cost a ton of money:
Estimates range from $50,000 to $80,000 per year.
You may
think, “Medicare will take care of me.” No, Medicare won’t. You can go into a
nursing home for a very limited amount of time and Medicare will pay the bill.
But once it becomes long-term, Medicare won’t pay.
However, Medicaid will
pay for nursing home care. Medicaid is the health care solution for low-income
Americans. In order for Medicaid to pick up your nursing home tab, you’re going
to have to spend down almost all of your assets.
And
this, I assume, is what Diane is addressing. She’s asking if there’s a way to
qualify for Medicaid without having to give up all your savings.
Thing No. 2: Medicaid strategies
There
are strategies you can employ that will allow you to legally qualify for
Medicaid and preserve some of your money. However, they’re complicated.
Keep in
mind, Medicaid isn’t for the rich, or even the middle class. It’s a
taxpayer-supported system for the impoverished. That being said, there are some
things you can legally do to protect some of your assets.
Examples
include certain annuities and giving away your assets to family members at
least five years before going into a nursing home. There are also irrevocable
trusts you can set up, like life estates and spillover trusts. Sound
complicated? It is, which is why you’ll need a lawyer to properly explore your
options.
In
short, the essence of sheltering your assets from a nursing home and getting
Medicaid to pay the bill is to remove assets from your estate, either by giving
them away or by putting them in an irrevocable trust. You need to do that long
in advance of entering a nursing home. You’ll need a lawyer, and it’s not
simple. Therefore, you’ll probably need a lot of assets before it’s even
worthwhile.
Thing No. 3: Alternatives
There
are alternatives to going down this road, none of which is particularly
pleasant or simple. You can get long-term care insurance, which is terrifically
expensive. You could self-insure, which means having enough savings to pay for
the nursing home. You can opt for home care, if that’s feasible for you, since
it’s generally less expensive than a nursing home.
Bottom
line? This is a tough situation without obvious solutions. But if you want to
explore them, do some reading, then talk to a lawyer. You can start your
reading at Money Talks News. Just do a search for
“long-term care.”
Hope
that answered your question, Diane.
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