My stepdad died 9 months ago. I have not heard from Medicaid. I called but all I was told was they were behind. Is there a limit on how long they have to notify me? What do I do? I just want closure. I, not his grown children, took care of him. He was on Medicaid May to Aug 2017.
What state are you in, Sugar?
Seems like Medicaid has a good reason why they can't send on the information. I requested a letter, after Moms death, asking what was owed because I was selling her house and needed to set a price for a quick sale. In the 3 months Mom was in the NH on Medicaid, she owes about 6k.
What the amount is is important as it triggers IF Estate Recovery happens.
Now regarding Estate Recovery aka MERP, that has a federally placed cost benefit or cost effectiveness requirement for MERP to go forward. The standards are Medicaid owed under 3k or value of estate under 10k. Regarding “value” that is usually determined by assets less debt of estate as filed in probate. Getting to the 10k mark can be pretty easily had (even if f they died owning a low value home) as executor has to pay funeral&burial costs, property costs, atty/probate court fees and whatever other legit items filed against the estate plus executor costs to get value under 10k. Debts of estate filed that are in priority as either their secured claims or ahead of Medicaid as per your state laws (a level of claim by class probate system). Medicaid is a unsecured creditor so usually down on list of priority for payment for probate. Like for TX, MERP is a class 7 claim so all debts filed in class 1-6 are priority payment ahead of class 7.
The issue perhaps will be that in order to use the cost benefit requirement you have to file probate. I’d suggest you have a file with documentation to show any estate costs you or other family paid for that can be used to offset any attempt by Medicaid or their outside contractor for MERP.