Reply #7: You really need to talk to someone who is knowledgeable about Medicare [View All]

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

and nursing homes in your state. Believe it or not, the ground rules differ from state to state.

Medicare also has different rules and guidelines for coverage of short-term versus long term care. I believe that I have heard of people being checked out of their nursing homes to stay with family to interrupt a stay so that they will qualify later once again under short term care guidelines. When I say this, this is not a scam . This is people following the legal guidelines of what is and isn't allowed. Many nursing homes have ombudspeople on their staff to help guide you through the complexities of all the rules. By the way, $30,000 is incredibly cheap for nursing home care in my neck of the woods.

Does your Dad get a military pension? Does he get Social Security? How much will they contribute towards his care? Many people with military retirements will NEVER qualify for Medicare because their retirement incomes will always be higher than Medicare guidelines.

You can also look into VA nursing homes and see if he qualifies. Some are horror stories and some are perfectly fine - you have to investigate

If someone is going to go into long term, uninterrupted care, I think they do require the person to spend down their assets to almost nothing.

You really need to see an attorney and get advice for the best options for your Dad - remember, in the state your Dad is in.

Was your Mom's insurance left to your Dad? If it was, then, yes you probably do have to spend it on his care, but at least that might buy you time to sell off his possessions (with his consent and knowledge, of course) and sell his home and get another few years of coverage.