correctly Medicare pays for 100 days of treatment.
If you need more you have to go into hospice, i think this is what we did with my mom.
Had to move her from home to home to home
and she was a veteran, but the VA wouldn't pick the big stuff up because she was not a veteran or a foreign war like my dad was.
The US had to be at war for her to qualify for her own benefits and she was in in during a 2 year gap year period of
no active conflict..............its all very very confusing and A LOT of paper work with various agencies.
Otherwise we would have to have put our house up as a lien for her to get medicaid.
None of us wanted to do that.

recovering from a hospital stay of 3 days or more. Otherwise zip as far as I know. How would she qualify for hospice? She seems okay?

Glad your mother had family to help her with this during difficult times.

Nursing Facility treatment plus room and board. What she is hoping to fund is regular activities of daily living support which is not considered medically necessary.

She is seeking, it appears, is what some call a sitter or aide. The responsibilities may include food prep, laundry, shopping, light housekeeping, transportation to medical appointments and so on. They may also help with bathing and dressing, transfers from bed to chair, or from the toilet to a standing position, or bed to bath or toilet if the client has physical limitations.

It's possible that Medicaid could pay for some of these things but she would have to liquidate her wealth to qualify for Medicaid and she seems to be unwilling to do that. None of these things are covered by Medicare and are totally out of pocket for those in need unless you have had a qualifying hospital stay that can help you return to your former state of health, aka attending rehab.

Once you complete rehab you are expected to return to home unless you need additional care at which point you will be expected to pay out of pocket or if you have a supplemental health insurance policy that pays for what Medicare and Medicaid won't cover.

If her home is in excess of that, she could consider a reverse mortgage to fund her care.

It's both a privilege and a shame that this is what choice she has. We should do better taking care of our elders.
❤

might have to use some of their equity at the end of their lives.

Also, the reporter is conflating the issue of National Healthcare with the issue of supporting oneself in aging, with greater need for assistance in living.

to leave the house to her adult children.

Do you think taxpayers are supposed to take care of the living costs of people who own home equity of more than $906K, so their children can inherit them?

Taxpayers are supposed to do. Of course, her son helped her with the GFM. It's all the rage with the youngsters. Creative wealth management with what looks like a granny grift. What could go wrong?

wouldn’t mind paying so elderly people can keep and pass on their homes. I would have no problem whatsoever.

Medicaid lets you continue to live in your home till you die, even if you've spent all the value in it -- and that's good.

But I don't think Medicaid should also be a backdoor way of creating a sheltered asset for someone's adult children.

She might qualify for some intermittent care, but not around the clock. She can probably qualify for nursing home care when most of her money is gone, but that’s not appealing.

Don’t think that is going to change anytime soon, no matter which Party is in control.

for benefits in NYC. In NY State, you can have up to $15,900 in assets and still be eligible for Medicaid Long Term Care. That doesn't count a house or a car. I did some research on Massachusetts and the maximum assets level is indeed $2,000 (not including a house or car). I am shocked that MA's level is so low, but it appears to be the case. So much for progressive Massachusetts.

My mom is in Western NY (Rochester area) - it was a bear dealing with Medicare after her Covid Hospital Stay. She's beyond that asset level - but I wondered during that situation . . .

What does a senior do if they don't have kids to step in and help financially and/or physically?

I wonder how my brother-in-law's visiting health aide was compensated. I thought it was Medicare. Perhaps it is a facet of an Advantage Plan. He had someone come to help with bathing and mobility issues, and someone else to do physical therapy to get him walking again. For a few months. He's 88, I think. Still living at home with wife and daughter in their paid-for house.

and pension are inadequate. And the Medicaid payment can go to either a nursing home or to at-home care.

The home is paid for, in a nice suburb. Cars, antiques, furniture. Life insurance, burial plots, the whole shebang. I have to assume that a Medicare Advantage plan compensated the caregiver.

mortgage. And she could use that money to pay for her care till she runs out.

Medicaid isn't set up so people with million dollar homes can hang onto all their assets no matter how long they live or how much care they need. I think The UK's Guardian could have found a better example of the US system not working.

stay at home, rather than a facility. It's the around-the-clock care that I don't think they cover, if they do it's not long.

Worse, home care is having problems finding care givers right now. Don't know if it's home health agencies/companies not willing to pay enough, or the government payment to agency is too low. Probably some of both.

It can be used to help many seniors remain at home.

This part of the article is misleading:

I only wish all those bastards would have to experience it for themselves.

Big money's aim is to pay no taxes as they state "if you want it you pay for it" shift of the burden onto those of lesser income. Ever notice how for years, things which should be taken care of at a societal level are unfunded, or left undeveloped, and then there are calls for YOU to donate time, money, or expertise to ease the burden of people in need?

I have donated time and money and feel good in my efforts. But there are too many homeless, too many damaged vets, too many poor kids needing mentors for me and my colleagues to secure through volunteering. I am getting old, tired, and cynical now. We are a society where we kill wolves for fun, die to make the Libs cry, and attack what keeps us healthy (environment, vaccines, education, and gun control). Public service, I am all in but where is the end?

We could afford to do more for her - we could give a lot of Seniors the care they need to remain independent.

and still qualify.