Sunday, December 22, 2013

OBAMACARE's Medicaid Fine Print: Your Estate can be Billed After Death to Pay for for Health-Care Expenses

My, this is an unpleasant consequence of Obamacare. I’m not going to call it unintended because in its current form, it potentially earns a bunch of money for states, so I’m pretty sure that’s intentional. What I think is unintentional is anyone noticing this is what they’re up to. 
But the Seattle Times noticed: 
It wasn’t the moonlight, holiday-season euphoria or family pressure that made Sophia Prins and Gary Balhorn, both 62, suddenly decide to get married. 
It was the fine print. 
As fine print is wont to do, it had buried itself in a long form — Balhorn’s application for free health insurance through the expanded state Medicaid program. As the paperwork lay on the dining-room table in Port Townsend, Prins began reading.
She was shocked: If you’re 55 or over, Medicaid can come back after you’re dead and bill your estate for ordinary health-care expenses. 
The way Prins saw it, that meant health insurance via Medicaid is hardly “free” for Washington residents 55 or older. It’s a loan, one whose payback requirements aren’t well advertised. And it penalizes people who, despite having a low income, have managed to keep a home or some savings they hope to pass to heirs, Prins said. 
So, here’s the deal. There used to be a provision whereby the state could recuperate funds spent on a Medicaid patient post-55 years old from whatever assets he owned. So, a low-income individual in nursing home care after age 55 might pass away and his kids would find out the family home or car of whatever he had to his name had to be bought back from the state if they wanted it. It’s called estate recovery, and sounds pretty shady if it’s not boldly advertised as the terms for Medicaid enrollment, which is most definitely is not.
Read the rest of the story HERE.

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2 comments:

Right Wingnut said...

It's not really free?

Anonymous said...

I heard someone talking about this the other day on the radio. The expert said that the states that haven't expanded medicaid probably don't do this, but the states that have expanded medicaid can recover the costs using assets owned by the benefactors. No, healthcare isn't free. Nor do I think the gov't should subsidize people so their children have an inheritance.

However, it isn't right for people going on expanded medicaid not to be completely aware of the consequences of it. Looks like we are getting to the point all socialistic societies reach where the only time you don't get hit up by the gov't is when you are completely, cradle to grave, dependent on the gov't. Despicable.

AZ