What do you do with a stimulus check when you or a family member are on Medicaid?

Late last year, Congress approved $600 stimulus checks for individuals making less than $75,000 a year. Those checks should be sent to everyone eligible, including individuals on Medicaid and in a nursing home or assisted living facility or receiving home care.  Like those checks received last spring, these checks will not immediately impact a recipient’s eligibility for Medicaid, SSI, and other federal public benefits programs.  Because these payments will be structured as tax refunds (even if you paid no taxes), they will not count as income for Medicaid, SSI, and other federal public benefit programs.  The payments will not count as a resource (asset) for these programs for 12 months after receipt.   The following are examples of what a Medicaid recipient may be able to spend the money on without affecting their eligibility:

• Make a payment toward paying off debt.
• Make small repairs around the house.
• Update personal effects. Buy household goods or personal comfort objects. Buy a new wardrobe, electronics, or furniture.
• Buy needed medical equipment, see a dentist or get eyes checked if those items aren’t covered by insurance.

In addition, the Medicaid recipient may be able to gift the payment to certain family members.

If you have questions about what you or a family member receiving Medicaid can do with a stimulus check, the Stinson Law Firm can assist you.  Contact us today at 317-622-8181 or www.stinsonlawfirm.com.