Personally, I am against the hiding of assets to qualify for Medicaid. Children/heirs have nothing to do with it IMO.
Obviously it isn't an act out of spite by the govt. But you can call it "recouping costs" but it is still the shifting around of money that I'll bet 98% of medicaid participants don't know about. Children/heirs have everything to do with it if the fine print is not repeatedly and loudly explained. The only assets you can "hide" are those that were earned 3 years before applying to medicaid excluding dwelling and associated land.
I understand. But in the end, Medicaid is not doing anything that is ‘hidden’. It is supposed to be used for people who have virtually nothing, no insurance, no income, no assets. I think that ensuring the patients pay what they have or can pay should be done. It is only fair to the taxpayers that fund this.
As you said, transfers of wealth need to be done prior to 3 years before use. It would behoove those thinking about getting grannie’s stash had better think about it and be proactive.