What if I don’t know the answers on the application?

What if I don’t know the answers on the application?

Short answer: Answer what you can, write “unknown” with a short explanation for the rest, and file anyway. The caseworker will ask for what is missing.

Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.

Applications for Long-Term Care Medicaid ask detailed questions about income, assets and transfers over the past five years. Family members filing for a parent often do not know every answer.

What to do:

  • Do not leave questions blank. Write “unknown” or “searching for records,” with a short explanation.
  • Do not guess. A wrong answer can cause problems later. “I don’t know yet” is better.
  • File the application anyway. The filing date protects coverage, and you can send information later within the deadlines the caseworker sets.
  • Gather what you can quickly: bank statements, award letters, insurance statements.
  • Ask for help. States must help applicants complete applications. Banks and agencies can provide records.
  • Correct mistakes promptly in writing.

Applications are signed under penalty of perjury, but honest “unknown” answers, followed by good-faith efforts to find the information, are not false statements.

Getting help

Every situation is different, and small facts can change the answer. If this question affects a real decision, especially with a spouse at home, a home, gifts or a trust, a Certified Medicaid Planner can apply your state’s rules to your situation. As a rough guide, published fees for help with an application range from about $500 to $6,000, and hourly help from about $150 to $600.

Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.

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