Friday, January 7, 2011

Probate Sharks: Medicaid Reform

(From the Northwest Herald:) "Medicaid reform took a “bold” step Wednesday as the Illinois Senate approved a measure projected to save $800 million during the next five years. Lawmakers were assigned the task of tightening the $14 billion state-federal health care system in December and still were hashing out the details Wednesday morning.

The legislation makes an attempt to crack down on fraud by setting up administrative hearings that can collect and fine individuals who have been scamming the system, and even refer the cases to local prosecutors."


We at probate sharks would like to urge both our State Senate and our State House to examine the use of OBRA accounts by guardians of elderly disabled wards in the Cook County Court system. Court-appointed guardians are placing the estates of the elderly disabled worth hundreds of thousands of dollars into OBRA accounts, thereby making the ward appear destitute, and eligible for Medicaid. Once the estate is placed into an OBRA account, that money can no longer, by law, be used for housing for the ward, and they can no longer use their own funds in their OBRA account to pay for their private pay nursing homes. Thus, the ward is moved into public aid housing, at the cost of the taxpayer, and to the burden of our Medicaid system.

OBRA accounts are quite a lucrative thing for the guardians and lawyers, however. You see, OBRA accounts may not be used for housing, but they may be used for "administrative fees". Administrative fees include guardians' fees and attorneys fees.










Source:
ProbateSharks.com

Our mission is to expose and remedy corruption in the Probate Court of Cook County, Illinois. We assist, educate and enlighten families of the dead, the dying, the disabled and the aged to better understand their rights in order to protect themselves from the excesses of the Probate Court of Cook County. ProbateSharks.com is dedicated to networking the human element of people to people. We join together in reforming the corrupt Cook County Probate Court system.

6 comments:

Sue said...

Great job sharks! Thank you for shouting out loud and thank you for giving us the real news!

Lou said...

Thank you Probate Sharks for your due diligence. Illinois needs your help.

Thelma said...

What else will the bloodsuckers think up?

We have to STOP them, NASGA!

StandUp said...

Yes, exactly! Reform Medicaid by investigating the abuse of OBRA trusts. How many billions of dollars could the state of Illinois save?

jerri said...

the state of illinois is not interested in real reform oh no they have most people fooled but we the people who have to fund the crooks know where their re-election and election campaign contributions come from connect the $$.....$$$$......$$$$$ and all those who contribute get something back in the name of power control and money for buying legislation michael madigan scares the hey out of me he runs the state of illinois gov quinn is his new puppet see the strings?

Anonymous said...

Now how much more could be saved by addressing the well-known strategy of hiding assets in trusts for heirs?

And, isn't it interesting that the lawyers sniffed out a way to guarantee more money for them, more money off the radar for those who are being paid by the wards's assets and income in guardianships not only in Illinois but around the good old USA.

Income and assets being diverted into trusts is business as usual so the ward qualifies for government assistance including MEDICAID hey folks, that's us!

Protection racket is rolling in cash while the perception the wards of the state are indigent, well not all wards started out in poverty, guardianship created more poverty, including banks who are guardians did you know that?

So wake up folks the next time you walk into your bank the bankers are watching YOU! Headhunters and Scouts are everywhere - believe it.

And, particularly, if you are elderly, and alone, you are a walking target with a $ sign on your back, you are marked for guardianship.