I'm yet another victim of thousands caught by state medicaid. Beware of medicaid programs that combine medicaid and medicare. In Idaho, it's called duals. The website states that its free, and they absolutely give no indication of the fact that after you turn 55 and become subject to estate recovery, they ratchet a monthly cost of 1,740 to $3,500 against your estate, again, without any notice or signatures of consent. This heart breaking practice plays out in other states as well, such as Ohio states version of "My Care" and individuals are powerless against teams of attorneys employed by states attorney generals offices, and they feel emboldened knowing the average person won't have thousands of dollars to fight them. Find out from an elder attorney, any costs or soon after you turn 55, get an expense breakdown from your states Estate recovery unit for a hint of expenses. Tell everyone you know! Thousands upon thousands of people out there in states medicaid programs have no idea of monthly premiums in the thousands are being levied against their homes after 55. They're required by federal law to do so, but dont! Groups like AARP refuse to cover this issue in their monthly publication. This is corruption at its worst. Please take note of this PSA, folks
It is all due to Bush #2 era DRA 2005 (Deficit Recovery Act of 2005). The Bush era Act had to be incorporated in your State laws and States had abt a decade to finalize this.
It can run to other State administered over age 55 Medicaid programs if a State chooses to do so. & a State determines how MERP will be done (state employees or outside contractor) after death.
Applying for Medicaid is a choice. Please pls realize this. You have not been paying into it, like you have been for Medicare via FICA. If you filed for Medicaid, it’s your or your POAs or future Executor’s responsibility to understand just what it likely will mean for your after death estate. Fwiw there are many exclusions and exemptions to MERP. Just what your options are realistically is done by working with an elder law attorney experienced with MERP and probate system in your State.
fwiw Estate Recovery has existed since mid1990s. But was done as Federal guidelines to the States. Some States did recovery usually for estates over a certain asset amount but most did nothing. Geo Bush DRA of 2005 required Estate Recovery to be done.
If you have a house, then yes your family will probably lose it to recovery. And thats how it should be. The State has been caring for you and by law they must try and recover what they have paid out. You and I pay taxes to be able to have Medicaid to take advantage of. To have proper Health insurance that pays for everything, they can have my house in the end. My daughter, RN, is very aware how it all works and that she may not get an inheritance if I ever need Medicaid.