An application must be filed with the Department of Health and Human Services (“DHHS”). The application itself is lengthy and detailed, and the answers to each question must be substantiated by legal or financial documentation. These supporting documents may include: social security card, Medicare card, health insurance cards, birth certificate, marriage certificate, life insurance policies, deeds, trust documents, car registrations, household expense bills, funeral contracts, income statements, and financial statements for the last five years. Financial transactions will be reviewed in detail and explanations to DHHS often are requested throughout the application process. Sometimes real estate must be removed from a revocable trust created by a Medicaid applicant and their spouse, but often the property can be returned to a revocable trust created solely by the at-home spouse after a nursing home application is approved. All gifts or transfers of assets within the last five years must be revealed and explained, and a problematic transfer could result in a denial of benefits for a period of time.
