Are bonds and zero bonds that are considered assets?
A fellow caregiver asked...
Are bonds and zero bonds that are considered assets for the patient are they touchable by the state or feds to have them liquidate to pay for the nursing home expenses? Are CD's?
Expert Answer
Barbara Steinberg is the CEO and founder of BLS Eldercare Financial Solutions, which specializes in helping families pay for long-term care for their loved ones. A registered financial gerontologist, she speaks regularly on the topic of paying for long-term care and is a financial expert for Caring.com.
If you are single and applying for Medicaid, all of your financial assets are considered available to be spent on nursing home care. It does not matter what products they are invested in. Stocks, government bonds, zero coupon bonds, corporate bonds, CDs, etc. must all be spent down to the resource maximum for your state. One exception to immediate liquidation is that some states allow you to keep your IRA as long as you contribute your required minimum distributions to your nursing home care.
Top Cities for Assisted Living