To Collect Debts, Nursing Homes Are Seizing Control Over Patients

[jwirr]

4. In Iowa the county required that the family to sell her house and use the proceeds to pay for her

care. Here in MN if you have been on Medicaid the estate must first reimburse the Medicaid program.

I really do not see this as being totally bad. Medicare pays only up to 180 days in a nursing home. After that it is paid for by Medicaid if the patient has nothing else to pay with. Why shouldn't a person's wealth be used for their own care? Isn't that what most of us work for - to pay for our retirement?

As to guardianship I am upset by that. There is a real conflict there. They are taking care of her, determining the cost of care and have control of her money. At the very least it should be the county that provides an independent guardian. In the county I used to work for they have several non-county lawyers and organizations that can do this for a fee. That seems to work out pretty good when there is no family to do the job.