This reply covers long term illnesses but what about short term illnesses? A friend of mine recently died of a rare and undetectable, untreatable, and terminal disease that took her in less than a year, from start to the end.

During this time period of 8-10 months she was in and out of hospitals, care centers, and at home as she suffered with this undiagnosed disease until the last couple months of her life. Medicare denied because of age, and Medicaid has been denied because of this time limit and assets clause. She had a home and a car and this was used as an asset and excuse to deny coverage. An estate lawyer was consulted in the last stages but I don't know any of the details.

If what this lawyer says is true then any estate, the home, can and will surely be confiscated and sold whether Medicaid pays or not.

Can you do a follow up story on these short term and rare diseases that do not allow for the families to prepare like a long term illness allows? Then can the families be held liable for any medical care of parents?

Long term care is expensive and it irks me that families assume that Medicaid will pay for it free and clear and that they will inherit a home. The state has a right to recover the cost of that care. Why should taxpayers pay for it? That's the American way, build assets your entire life, buy a house and loose it all upon illness or Nursing home care. Anyone trying to avoid paying for care is a cheat! It costs a fortune and the family needs to fork over the home to get the care.