Question about parent's assets in hospice

[adjaco]

My mom is in hospice in Wyoming. We're in the process of applying for MedicAid but not sure if she'll qualify. Are all of her assets basically committed to her care or is she able to gift anything to her children for any reason? She's divorced if that matters in regards to any spousal situations.

Thanks!

 

[FlyingRon]

You need to get the advice of a proper elder care advisor. The last thing you want to do is do asset transfers that will disqualify her for medicaid.
There are legitimate things you can do to spend down assets that won't disqualify her. Gifting away assets can be indeed problematic.

 

[LdiJ]

My mom is in hospice in Wyoming. We're in the process of applying for MedicAid but not sure if she'll qualify. Are all of her assets basically committed to her care or is she able to gift anything to her children for any reason? She's divorced if that matters in regards to any spousal situations.

Thanks!

Yes, basically all of her assets are committed to her care and no she cannot gift anything away without completely messing up her eventual (even if she does not qualify right now), eligibility for Medicaid.

If she has enough that consulting an elder law attorney is worth it, then that is what you should do. Otherwise, you should simply cooperate with committing what assets she does have to her care.

 

[adjaco]

She offered to help pay for my travel expenses to come see her, is she allowed to do

She offered to help pay for my travel expenses to come see her, is she allowed to do that?

 

[OHRoadwarrior]

Not really. That is money that could be going toward her care. Again giving away assets can be problematic.

 

[LdiJ]

She offered to help pay for my travel expenses to come see her, is she allowed to do that?

How much money are we talking about? A few hundred won't make a difference but more than that would.

 

[FlyingRon]

No, she can't pay travel expenses. She can pay off any debt she has even doing so ahead of schedule (in the case of cars or mortgages). In most states she can prepay funeral costs.