Four Key Medicaid Rules Regarding Bank Accounts as Countable Resources

Estate Planning with Paul Rabalais

Many indviduals, couples, and families are concerned that a nursing home stay will cause them to deplete their life savnigs, and force them to lose their home to the State of Louisiana when they die due to the State's Estate Recovery Rights. While it is important to take advantage of legal strategies to protect your estate from nursing home poverty at least five years before you wind up in a nursing home, it's also important to understand what you can and cannot own at the time one goes into a nursing home and applies for Louisiana Long Term Care Medicaid. A single person can have no more than $2,000 of Countable Resources when they apply for Louisiana Long Term Care Medicaid. Bank accounts are a Countable Resource. This post takes a closer look at four key Medicaid rules regarding bank accounts as a Countable Resource for purposes of Louisiana Long Term Care Medicaid. (1) 1st Day of Month. Medicaid counts the balance shown by your bank for the first moment of the first day of the month. Be prepared to furnish banking records. (2) Encumbrances Deducted From Bank Balance. If you have written a check for a legal obligation, and that check has not cleared by the first moment of the first day of the month, the encumbrance may be deducted from the actual bank balance. (3) Unrestricted Access ("or") Accounts. The Medicaid applicant is presumed to be the owner of all funds held in an "or" account. (4) Rebutting the Presumption for an "or" Account. If the Medicaid applicant is not the owner of funds in an "or" account, the applicant can rebut the presumption of ownership by providing written and corroborating statements regarding ownership, withdrawals, and deposits, along with a change in account title or the establishment of a new account with only the Medicaid applicant's funds. This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Please do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site. Using this site or communicating with Rabalais Estate Planning, LLC, through this site does not form an attorney/client relationship. Paul Rabalais Louisiana Estate Planning Attorney www.RabalaisEstatePlanning.com Phone: [phone]