Nevada Medicaid & An Estate
Nevada Medicaid must be notified every time an estate is opened in Nevada and it has the right to get paid back whatever it has paid for the Decedent’s care. To make matters worse, health care providers have a year to bill Nevada Medicaid so while Nevada Medicaid’s lien might be small at the time the estate is opened, it could be larger by the time the estate is ready for distribution.
Fortunately, Nevada Medicaid will settle their claim for full payment at any time in the probate process and once they settle, they will not hold the estate liable for future bills that come and Nevada Medicaid has to pay. In some cases family members are financially able to pay-off Nevada Medicaid for what it owed at the time the Decedent dies (or shortly thereafter) and then don’t have to worry about later bills coming in to increase the claim of Nevada Medicaid. This is just one of many examples in the probate process in which, if the family is able, a payment made at the beginning of the probate process can reduce the ultimate liability of the estate.
Nevada Medicaid Is Different Than Medicare
Medicare is a federal program that is considered an “earned” benefit so Medicare usually does NOT have a right to get paid back for Decedent’s bills they paid. (Medicare only has the right to get paid back if the medical bills were incurred because of a personal injury—whether resulting in death or not—AND a settlement or judgment was paid because of the injury or death. But if a person dies of cancer or a heart attack or a stroke Medicare doesn’t have a right to get paid back out of their estate.)
Discounts on Nevada Uncontested Probate
We offer substantial discounts from statutory attorney fees in all Nevada uncontested probates and for uncontested California probates over $400,000.