So tax returns are like 109 pages long. When applying for Medicaid, how much do we provide?

You definitely don't need to submit the entire TurboTax package! What Medicaid is looking for are the official IRS forms, not all the worksheets and calculations TurboTax includes. For each year, you typically just need to provide: - Form 1040 (the main tax return form, usually 2 pages) - Any attached schedules that show income sources (Schedule B for interest/dividends, Schedule C for self-employment, Schedule E for rental properties, etc.) - Any forms showing adjustments to income that affected eligibility The full TurboTax print can include tons of worksheets, state returns, and calculations that Medicaid doesn't need. I'd say for most people, the actual required portion is usually 5-15 pages per year, not 100+.

When I was helping my aunt with her Medicaid application last year, I was also confused about all the tax documentation. I spent hours sorting through everything until I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) that literally saved my sanity. I uploaded her massive tax returns and it automatically identified the essential documents needed for Medicaid applications. It highlighted exactly which forms were required and organized them in the right order. It even explained why each form was relevant to the Medicaid application process! The tool extracted just the important parts instead of me printing the whole thing. Medicaid approved her application with no additional document requests.

Just wanted to follow up after trying taxr.ai for my mom's Medicaid application paperwork. Wow, it actually worked amazingly well! Uploaded all five years of those massive TurboTax returns and it immediately identified exactly which pages I needed. Instead of submitting over 500 pages of tax returns, I only needed to provide about 40 pages total across all five years. The Medicaid office actually commented that my application was one of the most organized they'd received and everything went through smoothly the first time without any requests for additional documentation. Definitely saved me hours of stress trying to figure out which pages mattered!

If you're also struggling with contacting Medicaid about application requirements, I strongly recommend checking out Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I wasted DAYS trying to get through to our state Medicaid office to ask questions about my dad's application and kept hitting automated systems or 2+ hour hold times. Claimyr connects you directly with a real Medicaid representative in minutes instead of hours. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to ask exactly which tax documents they needed for my dad's nursing home application and got clear answers from an actual human. They even helped me understand some special rules about the look-back period for asset transfers.

I need to apologize and admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After dismissing it as a scam, I got so frustrated trying to reach someone at Medicaid that I decided to try it anyway. I needed clarification on exactly which tax documents were required for my mom's application, and had already wasted three afternoons trying to get through. Used Claimyr out of desperation, and they called me back in about 25 minutes with an actual Medicaid representative on the line! The rep confirmed I only needed the main 1040 forms, Schedules A, B, D, and any 1099s for each year. Saved me from submitting unnecessary documents AND from wasting more days on hold. Can't believe how much time I wasted trying to do this myself.

Just wanted to add from experience - make sure you include ALL pages of each required form! I made the mistake of only sending page 1 of a two-page form, and the Medicaid office put my dad's entire application on hold for 3 weeks until I provided the missing page. So frustrating. Also, keep a complete copy of everything you submit. My dad's application processor somehow "lost" one of the tax return years, and I had to resubmit. Thank goodness I had made copies.

Don't forget about the look-back period! Medicaid will scrutinize any large deposits or withdrawals in the last 5 years, so be ready to explain those if they appear on the tax forms. My mom's application got delayed because she had capital gains from selling her house, and even though it was an exempt asset, we still had to provide additional documentation.

Another thing to keep in mind - some states have specific Medicaid application checklists that tell you exactly which tax forms they need. I wish I had known this earlier! When I was going through this process with my father last year, I spent weeks trying to figure out what to include. Then I discovered our state's Medicaid website had a downloadable checklist specifically for long-term care applications that broke down exactly which tax documents were required. It saved me from both over-submitting (like including every single TurboTax worksheet) and under-submitting (I almost forgot to include his 1099-R forms for pension distributions). The checklist even had little boxes to check off as you gathered each document. If your state has something similar, it might be worth looking for before you start printing everything. Some states even have different requirements depending on whether it's for nursing home care vs. home-based care services.