FTC warning nursing home residents about signing over stimulus checks

PITTSBURGH — When the first round of stimulus payments went out last spring, some nursing homes asked residents to sign over their checks.

The Federal Trade Commission doesn’t want this to happen again. So they’re putting out a reminder that the money is meant for the person, and not the place he or she lives.

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The FTC said some nursing facilities tried to take stimulus payments meant for their residents, particularly those on Medicaid.

According to the CARES Act, those payments are tax credits. Since they’re a tax credit credit, they don’t count as “resources” for federal benefits programs like Medicaid.

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If you have a loved one in a long-term care facility, the commission recommends you call the facility to remind them of the rules.

If you hear about an assisted living facility taking payments, call the attorney general’s office and then tell the FTC.

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