Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says nursing home residents are entitled to keep their stimulus checks. He’s issuing a warning to anyone trying to defraud these vulnerable people.
The attorney general says nursing home residents and their families should stay vigilant when it comes to having their federal stimulus check fraudulently taken from them.
Landry notes that while Medicaid recipients may have to sign over their resources to the nursing home where they live, that does not apply to stimulus checks issued as part of the CARES Act.
Landry says Congress identifies these funds as tax credits, and tax credits do not count as “resources” for federal benefits programs, meaning Medicaid recipients living in nursing homes can keep their stimulus checks.
“It is imperative these stimulus checks go to those who rightfully belong to them,” said Landry. “Any illegal seizure of these funds should be immediately reported to my Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.”
Anyone with information concerning Medicaid fraud or a nursing home resident being forced to give up their stimulus check should contact the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 888-799-6885 or report it online at http://agjefflandry.com/Medicaid/Fraud/Complaint.
BATON ROUGE