My father is 64 he is currently on SSI and Medicaid medical assistance. He turns 65 in two months and wants to transfer the house that he lives in to me. He would still qualify for Medicaid and would be on it to pay the Medicare deductibles. He currently does not need in home care or a nursing facility. If he transfers the house would the 5 year look back period in Pennsylvania interfere with the his medical assistance through Medicaid? Meaning would he be able to transfer the property without penalty of losing his Medicaid medical assistance? Or does the look back period just count for nursing home and in home care?
I think we’re overlooking what these 2 are & what it means.
If I'm right, these 2 things make a huge HUGE HUUGGEEE difference as to what happens if he sells or transfers the house which right now is an exempt asset.
His being on SSI is what is providing his having Medicaid.
Not ACA, not Medicaid Expansion. He’s getting it via SSI.
SSI is “means tested”. It’s for low income folks who cannot work but are “at need” or means tested to be eligible to get a minimal income to live on AND since their low income they automatically qualify for Medicaid. SSI pays abt $770 a mo. BUT Medicaid enrollment is included.
Right there that’s a big $$$ deahl imo.
If he’s been on SSI for ages, he’s likely also getting a bunch of other state supported low income items, maybe SNAP, property tax decrease, no shut off on utilities, free bus pass. But he has to be poor & giving away assets gets him ineligible.
He is not on SSDI (worked but now disabled and cannot work, you don’t have to be low income; SSDI is $ paid based on work income history). As an aside on this, if on SSDI, after a 2 yr wait & they get to go on MediCARE no matter what age. It’s like if after 2 years, they are not better or recovered from their disability, so Medicare is the better way to manage their permanent health care needs.
Personally I would NOT do anything till after he is whatever age he needs to be to be considered full retirement age FRA for regular SS.
I’d wait to see what exactly happens with his SSI / Medicaid combo once he’s able to be FRA age so could go onto Medicare & onto traditional SS retirement. If SSI at FRA stops & he then goes onto regular SS monthly income; he could go onto Medicare & off Medicaid.
?box, try to go onto SSA site to see when his FRA (full retirement age) is. (Like if born in 1959 that’s age 66 & 10 months.) So if he does anything with his assets before then, he’s gonna be ineligible for SSI as it’s means tested. He’s gotta stay poor. Transferring house to you is loss of an asset that has value. When the transfer is recorded at the courthouse, it goes into state database. Medicaid will find out.
To me, if he’s able to go onto Medicare & get a gap / advantage/ supplement for the stuff that Medicare doesn’t cover I’d look to do that. That’s when I’d transfer the house. And I’d keep him on MediCARE and the supplement for 5 years. Not be on Medicaid at all for 5 years. So outside of any Medicaid issues as he’s not on Medicaid. Only after the 5 yr mark would he ever apply for Medicaid.
The medicaid he got while on SSI can only come into play for MERP / Estate Recovery rules IF he applied for Medicaid after age 55. If he went onto SSI before age 55, it’s outside of MERP recoup attempt. QuestionBox how old was he went he went onto SSI?
Age 55 is the determining factor as to if MERP has a position.