How much money can you have in your savings account if you are on Medicaid?

Question

I hope someone can help me with this. My friend lives in Orange Co California, she has been on disability for years but is now going on Medicaid and will be in a Long Term Nursing Home for the rest of her life. She just moved out of her HUD apartment and they will finish up all her paperwork soon to get her care paid for through medicaid. She has $3750.00 in her checking account, that is all she owns, no other assets. Once she is on Medicaid she will get $36.00 a month for personal expenses. Will they take all of the money from her checking account or is she allowed to have up to a certain amount in there. She does still owe some outstanding debts, one friend loaned her the co-pay she needed for an electric wheelchair, and another friend paid for a cleaning service and moving service to close down her HUD apartment and she would like to repay her as well. Thanks for your help.

L

Answer 1

If a person is on Supplemental Security Income (SSI), they will also get Medicaid.

If a person is on SSI and Medicaid, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will allow a person to have at the maximum of $2,000.    

Answer 2

Medicaid will take all of her money except $2,000.

So tell her to repay her friends while she can. If she has money left - tell her to buy a TV and other things that will make her life comfortable in the long term care facility asap.