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I have seen several friends whose lives have been impacted negatively.
1. An elderly friend, in a second marriage, was forced to sell everything that could have belonged to her husband (tools, small fishing skiff, guns) and give up the money. She also had to sell the house and give up half the profit. His kids to a previous marriage, who grew up in the house, hired a lawyer and demanded half of her half, so she had very little left to pay rent on a tiny apartment. In our state, which has a homestead rule on shared housing (each owns the whole house), should have protected her. But NO, it was considered only half hers.
2. Similar situation for a younger, working wife, when her hubby went into LTC, and every penny she earned at her job was considered "his" for the $2000 max in the bank, so she had to quit her job and report every dime she earned. I believe, because they bought the house together, that she was allowed to stay in it.
I'm concerned about this, as I own an in-home business with operating $$ in the bank. SSI is not enough to live on and pay costs of the house (my SSI is only $650). So far my husband is not needing Medicaid to go into a care facility, but that time may come sooner rather than later and I want to be prepared.

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You need to consult an attorney. Community spouse rules are complex for Medicaid and each state is different. Worth every penny, imo
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I have searched for an attorney who understands elderly issues, without success. I may be able to find one in our largest city in Alaska, but that is 250 miles away -- to far to go for just a consult. I hoped someone could find a website in which I can find the guidelines, that would at least give me a basic idea of what to expect.
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Just a side thought...if you are on SSI (not SSDI) are you reporting the income from your business?
Have you checked your state's official website for Medicaid?
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Vegaslady, yes I am on SSI. I don't make enough income in my business to negatively impact what I get. A lot of it gets eaten up by overhead and advertising and E & O insurance. I probably make an average of $1,000/month, but it keeps me active and alert, so I soldier on. My state's Medicaid site does not outline any answer to my question. It only gives a maximum income for the household, which is only a little more than for one person. It just says to fill out their extensive application to see if we qualify.
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One of our experts on this site, Gabriel Heiser, has a book about Medicaid with specific information for each state.

The spouse who is not in the NH is referred to as the " community spouse".

You can also Google "spousal impoverishment Alaska" and you will get some good information.
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