You are correct in your assessment that one must have virtually no assets to become Medicaid eligible. The limit of total assets is only $2,000.00. Medicare does not offer coverage for the extensive end-of-life care that Medicaid does.

One can transfer assets in order to become Medicaid eligible; however, after the transfer, one must wait five years to get those benefits. There are a few exceptions to this five year look-back period. If any of these can apply to your mother's situation, this is how she could instantly become Medicaid eligible.

A transfer of assets to:

- A spouse (or a transfer to anyone else as long as it is for the spouse's benefit)
- A blind or disabled child
- A trust for the benefit of a blind or disabled child
- A trust for the sole benefit of a disabled individual under age 65 (even if the trust is for the benefit of the Medicaid applicant, under certain circumstances).

In addition, special exceptions apply to the transfer of a home. The Medicaid applicant may freely transfer his or her home to the following individuals without incurring a transfer penalty:

- The applicant's spouse
- A child who is under age 21 or who is blind or disabled
- Into a trust for the sole benefit of a disabled individual under age 65 (even if the trust is for the benefit of the Medicaid applicant, under certain circumstances)
- A sibling who has lived in the home during the year preceding the applicant's institutionalization and who already holds an equity interest in the home
- A "caretaker child," who is defined as a child of the applicant who lived in the house for at least two years prior to the applicant's institutionalization and who during that period provided care that allowed the applicant to avoid a nursing home stay.

Those are the only exceptions to the five year look-back rule and the only ways to protect the house from having to be sold.

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Thank you,
Nate