MIGrandma
Lives in the middle-of-the-mitten.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2009
My mother went to live in a nursing home back in October 2015. As the cost per month was much more than she could afford we were able to get Medicaid assistance for her. She passed away last month and I received a letter a couple weeks later letting us know she was no longer eligible for Medicaid assistance, which I already knew of course.
I thought that would be the end of it.
No, I received a letter from them in today's mail wanting me to fill out an information sheet and return it. Most of the questions they already know the answers to, as I had to answer them when we applied for Medicaid for her and again this past January to "renew" it as they do each year. I will fill it out and return it, of course, and include the copy of the death certificate they asked for. I'm a little puzzled as to why they want copies of her bank statements, as they know what her income was and they took all but $60 of that each month for her care in the nursing home. Are they going to want that $60 per month X the number of months she was covered under Medicaid? I did have to provide statements, again, when we "renewed" her Medicaid coverage this past January so I don't really understand why they want copies again 6 months later. Nothing has changed.
Also, she owned a car at the time she went into the nursing home, which of course they knew about and told me I could not sell it as long as she was living. They said we could drive it, but not sell it. We didn't drive it much, we had no real need to, but we did keep it stored and insured. So, now that she has passed I just "assumed" I was free to sell it. We had my name added to the title several months ago. I have a buyer for it (one of our granddaughters) but now I'm concerned maybe I still can't sell it?
Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? Are they going to want payment for the car if I do sell it?
They also asked about my father, which they already know he is deceased. They want his social security number. I have no idea what that was and no paperwork that I know of that I can find it on. Can I just put "unknown" in that box on the form I need to fill out?
I do have a number on the paper that I can call if I have questions, but of course I can't call until Monday so just thought I would ask here if anyone has any experience in dealing with Medicaid after a parent in a nursing home has passed away.
Oh, I'm an only child so no other siblings to split anything of value with. But besides her car she didn't own anything, as she lived in a senior apartment. Just had her household contents and we dealt with all of that when she moved into the nursing home so basically I just have mementoes, dishes, a few antique vases from her mother, that sort of thing.
Edited to add: I was told by the mortician at the funeral home that when they registered her death it would "ping" social security so they would know about her death and her social security payments would stop. Also, about a week after her death I called General Motors (where my Dad worked) and told them of her death so her pension checks would stop. She did receive another at the first of this month but I was told to just destroy it. So no more income is going into her checking or savings accounts.
I thought that would be the end of it.
No, I received a letter from them in today's mail wanting me to fill out an information sheet and return it. Most of the questions they already know the answers to, as I had to answer them when we applied for Medicaid for her and again this past January to "renew" it as they do each year. I will fill it out and return it, of course, and include the copy of the death certificate they asked for. I'm a little puzzled as to why they want copies of her bank statements, as they know what her income was and they took all but $60 of that each month for her care in the nursing home. Are they going to want that $60 per month X the number of months she was covered under Medicaid? I did have to provide statements, again, when we "renewed" her Medicaid coverage this past January so I don't really understand why they want copies again 6 months later. Nothing has changed.
Also, she owned a car at the time she went into the nursing home, which of course they knew about and told me I could not sell it as long as she was living. They said we could drive it, but not sell it. We didn't drive it much, we had no real need to, but we did keep it stored and insured. So, now that she has passed I just "assumed" I was free to sell it. We had my name added to the title several months ago. I have a buyer for it (one of our granddaughters) but now I'm concerned maybe I still can't sell it?
Does anyone here have any experience with this sort of thing? Are they going to want payment for the car if I do sell it?
They also asked about my father, which they already know he is deceased. They want his social security number. I have no idea what that was and no paperwork that I know of that I can find it on. Can I just put "unknown" in that box on the form I need to fill out?
I do have a number on the paper that I can call if I have questions, but of course I can't call until Monday so just thought I would ask here if anyone has any experience in dealing with Medicaid after a parent in a nursing home has passed away.
Oh, I'm an only child so no other siblings to split anything of value with. But besides her car she didn't own anything, as she lived in a senior apartment. Just had her household contents and we dealt with all of that when she moved into the nursing home so basically I just have mementoes, dishes, a few antique vases from her mother, that sort of thing.
Edited to add: I was told by the mortician at the funeral home that when they registered her death it would "ping" social security so they would know about her death and her social security payments would stop. Also, about a week after her death I called General Motors (where my Dad worked) and told them of her death so her pension checks would stop. She did receive another at the first of this month but I was told to just destroy it. So no more income is going into her checking or savings accounts.