State files to change Medicaid policy to recover only long-term care costs [WA]

The Seattle Times ^ | 12/31/2013 | Carol M. Ostrom

[steve86]

Washington’s Health Care Authority, as promised, has filed an emergency rule to amend Medicaid’s estate recovery policy.

Current policy allows Medicaid to recover all medical costs from a client’s estate after death, which caused some consternation among those signing up for health insurance through the state’s expanded Medicaid program. The change means that Medicaid can only recover costs related to long-term care services.

[steve86]

So all the scary rants about Medicaid Estate Recovery were for naught (except for long-term care expenses, as it has always been).

[steve86]

Oregon did this also.

[AnAmericanMother]

They were NOT for naught. Did you read the article? The current law allows recovery of all expenses.

Something had to be done, and the "scary rants", as you put it, gave it a push. Now an emergency rule has been made in Washington state to do away with the wholesale recovery of all medical expenses.

How about the other 49 states?

[Venturer]

Which only means that when they cannot recover anything Medicaid has become welfaremedicaid.

Free Government insurance paid for by my tax money.

[steve86]

I've been following Medicaid Estate Recovery closely for several years.

Even if the current law had not been amended, it would have been applicable only to services received from ages 55-64.

Besides Oregon and Washington, other states that went forward with Expanded Medicaid are said to have adopted similar amendments but I do not have the complete list in front of me.

[AnAmericanMother]

That still has the potential to blindside people, even if it’s a more limited group than “everybody”.

[trebb]

Lots of people take offense at any money the government collects. In this case, I see no problem recouping cash from the estate - usually not much estate left as those who end up in the end-of-life care situations (facilities with varying degrees of services/support as folks age and weaken) and they generally can only protect a relatively small portion of their bank accounts/estate before they qualify for the services under Medicaid - they are about broke before the care kicks into high-level mode. Those who have more money/resources are likely to obtain better care/facilities for themselves.