Elder Law Answers
Will Cash Payments to a Caregiver Disqualify Mom from Receiving Medicaid?
- June 18th, 2015
Q
My mother-in-law is widowed and has been bedridden for one-and-a-half years. We currently have live-in help to assist her 24/7 in her own home. We have been paying this person in cash without a detailed paper trail of expenditures. If my mother-in-law needs to be placed in a nursing facility, how will the Medicaid look-back regard the cash payments? Will we be held accountable fiscally for the one-and-a-half years of cash payments for her at-home care?
A
It’s likely that the state will accept affidavits from family members about the reason for the payments. A paper trail would certainly help. It all comes down to convincing the Medicaid worker when the time comes. We’d advise consulting with a local elder law attorney to learn about local practices and any steps you could take now to strengthen your case. Here is a directory of attorneys: https://www.elderlawanswers.com/elder-law-attorneys.
For more information about the look-back period, click here.