Medicaid May Force Elderly to Sell Homes: KY Seeks More Revenue from Nursing Home Patients

Louisville, KY, Courier-Journal ^ | 07-10-03 | Yetter, Deborah

[Theodore R.]

FRANKFORT, Ky.

[Theodore R.]

My goodness, what is happening with "democracy" in KY. Maybe the costs are outstripping the votes! Pretty soon, one won't be able to afford Medicaid in KY!

Notice that there is no mention that it is the KY "democracy" that is going after the revenues of poor nursing home patients. Sometimes "democracy" is just too expensive!

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[anniegetyourgun]

Wait just a minute now....I thought that the KY governor took care of all those nasty little nursing home issues by having an affair with one of the administrators?

[Kozak]

Please explain to me why the taxpayers of the state of Kentucky should pay the nursing home bill for someone. yet leave their property for their heirs to inherit?

[doug from upland]

If people have assets, they should be used for their care. Why should taxpayers pay to take care of someone and then family members get their assets? The family has the first responsibility for someone's care.

[Numbers Guy]

Please explain to me why the taxpayers of the state of Kentucky should pay the nursing home bill for someone. yet leave their property for their heirs to inherit?

Exactly.

The use of trusts and so forth so that one can avoid paying one's bills and foist the costs upon the taxpayers is a massive nationwide scandal.

If you'll recall, Carol Moseley Braun was caught red-handed pulling the same stunt with her mother in Illinois. If it was "welfare fraud" for Braun to make the taxpayers pay for the expenses of someone perfectly able to pay her own costs then why is it any less obnoxious for people in Kentucky to do so?

[TheBattman]

If the patient and their estate/family don't pay for the care they receive, who will?

The only other alternative is the taxpayers. If the patient and family have the resorces, shouldn't they foot the bill?

Of course, this is the reasn that anyone that has to go into the nursing home should gift over all property they can to family so that the state doesn't get it to pay their bills.

[ikka]

This is the downside of "womb to tomb" health care. Medicaid/care is only for the poor; so you must become poor in order to be able to have the govt pick up the tab. In return, they take everything you own.

[EggsAckley]

Wow! In CA they just take it first, and sort it out later. The folks in KY have been on a gravy train.

[Numbers Guy]

In return, they take everything you own.

The state doesn't take anything. The state is not allowed (under Federal Medicaid regs) to pay an individual's medical bills until that person has spent down to a certain level of income and assets. Granted, some people commit fraud through trusts, asset transfer, and so forth to reduce their income/assets to become eligible, but that's the crux of the problem.

The only "taking" is by the nursing home which is charging the patient the going rate, much as any other business charges a customer a going rate. If they're "taking", then so is McDonald's when they charge you for a Happy Meal.

There is no "right" to have taxpayers pay for one's health care, thus nothing is being taken away from someone who's not eligible for Medicaid so must pay directly for their services. This nation does have a Medicaid program to pay for health care for the indigent, but that's not the same as a "right".

[Theodore R.]

They take everything you own.

You got that right. Maybe nursing homes should put up a sign that says: "Only the poor need apply," and people could divest themselves of their holdings before they enter those final earthly gates.

[thoughtomator]

I'm with you on that... why should struggling young people trying to build the future of this nation be saddled with these costs when the patients and their families themselves don't view the medical care that is demanded to be a worthy expense?

What the welfare crowd is saying is basically that they wouldn't get the medical care if they had to pay for it, but if some random young person gets to pay for it (without receiving even accountability for his dollar in return) then it's worth the money.

[Dave S]

Spouses are allowed to continue to live in the home but upon death of the spouse the home is sold and the proceeds used to reiumburse the state for its footing the $4000 or so a month payment for nursing home care.

If neither the patient nor their adult children are able or willing to pay for the patients nursing home care, why should these children expect to receive the home as an inheritance. Its not reasonable nor responsible to expect someone else to pick up the costs while the kids pick up the inheritance.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I believe we do the same thing in Colorado, and so does Idaho. Why should the peope pay for someones care when they assets?? When they die, that property should belong to the people as payment in return.

[1Old Pro]

Please explain to me why the taxpayers of the state of Kentucky should pay the nursing home bill for someone. yet leave their property for their heirs to inherit?

If you get a good answer let me know as I don't understand this entitlement to taxpayer funded nursing home care allowing the patient to simply not pay for the service if they have assets.

[Jim Noble]

Medicaid may force elderly to sell homes

Lying by incompletion.

The complete sentence: "Medicaid may force elderly to sell homes if they want free stuff from hardworking taxpayers with families of their own to support"

[BADROTOFINGER]

The state doesn't take anything. The state is not allowed (under Federal Medicaid regs) to pay an individual's medical bills until that person has spent down to a certain level of income and assets. Granted, some people commit fraud through trusts, asset transfer, and so forth to reduce their income/assets to become eligible, but that's the crux of the problem.

End Medicaid. Then people will be forced to pay for themselves, and wont be led into this bait and switch game of being told that they can have their cake and eat it too as long as they pay the govt. the lion's share of their income in taxes, only to find out later that it was all a lie designed to make them dependant on said government. It isnt the taxpayer's responsibility to pay for anyones health care. End Medicaid now, along with SS and the income tax and watch this kind of gestapo crap end within 20 years. Just my opinion...JFK

[CajunConservative]

If more people would take care of their own family then they wouldn't have to worry. Most in nursing homes could still live at home with some supervision. I did it for both parents and a grandmother.

It really was a blessing for me to be able to care for my family. They were able to stay in their own homes, weren't forgotten and neglected and in the end I inherited my father's house free and clear, although that wasn't my motivation for taking care of my family.

[steplock]

If you want the state to provide everything for you - then you must give the state everything you have,

It's only FAIR!

In this case, the "state" = US the TAXPAYERS

Why should we pay for the total costs of someone who has a $500k (just emaple figure) house? That $500k should be applied FIRST to the costs of "state maintenance" of a person.

The heirs are not OWED anything. If they paid all the costs themeselves and not US the taxpayer, then it's different.

[DuncanWaring]

This is the downside of "womb to tomb" health care.

How is this a downside?

If you have assets, and are seeking to hire the services of someone else, you should use those assets to pay that person.

If a poor person goes into McDonalds and says "I'd like a hamburger, but if I have to pay for it, I'll be completely broke.", will they get the burger for free?

I seriously doubt it.

Why should nursing home care be any different?