Is it moral to have money and receive Medicaid long term care benefits?

10 May 2022 · 1 min

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In this YouTube segment, the host poses a moral and policy question about whether individuals who have assets should shelter them to qualify for Medicaid long‑term care benefits. He outlines two opposing viewpoints: (1) the belief that Medicaid should be reserved for the poor and that anyone with money ought to pay privately for nursing‑home care, and (2) the view that lifelong taxpayers are entitled to government‑funded long‑term care. He notes that Congress permits various asset‑sheltering strategies that allow people to receive Medicaid while preserving wealth for heirs, but many consider this practice immoral. He also contrasts the U.S. system with most other developed nations, where the government typically funds long‑term care. The segment ends with a poll invitation for viewers to state their position.

Chapters

I've got a question for you tonight that many people see as one of morality. It involves whether or not to shelter your assets from Medicaid recovery if you need long-term care benefits in a nursing home. Many people believe that Medicaid long-term care benefits should only be for the poor and the needy, and that if you have any money at all, you should use it to private pay for your own long-term care. Other people believe that they've paid taxes their entire lives and that they are entitled to a government benefit like Medicaid to cover their long-term care. Congress has allowed many ways to shelter assets from Medicaid so that you can get Medicaid benefits and have money to pass on to your heirs. But many people believe that it's just not moral to take advantage of those things, and that if you have the money, you should private pay for your own long-term care in a nursing home. In most of the free world, the government pays for long-term care, not in the United States. Where do you come down on this? Answer the poll question and I'll let you know how it turns out.