Hello everyone, I have a really weird question. Does anyone deal with caregiving in terms of you maintain one state of residence and your parent or spouse maintains another?
You see, my husband and I maintain our Texas residency, but my Mom owns property and has an Illinois residency. Texas is preparing to offer some additional benefits to seniors and I am trying to figure out if there is a way for mom to possibly maintain her current benefits, but take advantage of those in state I reside.
We are in both states along with several others every year. You see my husband and I live in a 5th wheel, mom travels with us all year, we do go spend about 30 sometimes 45 days at her home, but the rest of the time we are traveling. My mom enjoys the travel and it helps the Alzheimer's mood, it means work to get her in and out of the 5th wheel but we do it for her.
So I was wondering if anyone else had a dual type residency or thoughts or ideas.
Thanks,
Donna
Or is she just on Medicare? If just Medicare, then all that is federally based and she can go wherever and get services if the provider or facility takes Medicare.
the issue of legal residency is going to be the key if she is on Medicaid or other state administered program (SNAP, HUD 8, etc). Medicaid although a federal and state joint program is administered by the state. Each state sets' it's rules based on it's own state law which is first and foremost for residents of the state. This is especially important in regards to the MERP program (Medicaid estate recovery after they die). Dual residency will be an issue and disqualify her for Medicaid in 1 of the states. My MIL was in a NH in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina hit, and her NH decamped to Houston enmasse (well except for the one's that died before the vans got there on that Friday). Now the majority of the ladies stayed and went into NH in Texas. the state of TX Medicaid program paid for them if they had been LA Medicaid (my MIL was one of these). But about 8-10 months later those that still had a home or a car in LA were sent a letter of ineligibility for TX Medicaid because of the property in LA. Home & car are an exempt asset for Medicaid but only if the home &/or car is in the same state. So either they had to sell the LA home and then spend-down the assets to stay on TX Medicaid OR move back to a NH anywhere in LA but this would allow them to keep the house &/or car. Most moved. Now TX was pretty good on doing a hardship extension for months for those that put the house on the market as it was pretty much total chaos in doing anything legal property-wise in the Katrina zone for well over a year. But you won't have that working for you and your mom.
If you think Medicaid and a NH is in your mom's future, then I'd look into establishing her TX residency which would mean selling all in Ohio.