Maple Grove Skilled Nursing

Houston, TX

Miller Trust Guide

millertrustguide.com

A free resource for families facing Texas's Medicaid income limit — shared by Maple Grove Skilled Nursing, prepared with Miller Trust Guide.

TX · Free call-ahead checklist

Before you go to the bank — 7 questions to ask first (Texas)

A plain-English call-ahead checklist for opening a Miller Trust bank account in Texas — what to ask on the phone before you drive to a branch, so a first-time teller doesn't turn one trip into two.

Read this first — most branches haven't done this before. A Miller Trust account isn't an ordinary checking or savings account, and a branch's own system usually has no matching template on file. That's a bank-procedure problem, not a problem with the trust — and a five-minute call ahead of time can tell you whether this branch already knows what to do, or whether to ask for the trust department instead.

7 questions to ask before you go

Ask these when you call ahead. If an answer raises a flag, that's useful to know before the trip, not after.

  1. Have you opened a Qualified Income Trust (Miller Trust) account before?

    If the answer is no, ask specifically for the trust department (if the branch has one) or the branch manager directly — starting with a teller who's never handled one is the single most common way this turns into two trips instead of one.

  2. Will this account need an EIN, or is the applicant's Social Security number enough?

    HHSC Appendix XXXVI states the QIT account is set up using the beneficiary's Social Security number — no separate EIN is required for a QIT used solely to divert the applicant's countable income.

  3. Branch requests a tax ID (EIN) for the trust

    Ask: If you need the trust's tax ID (EIN), can the account be opened the same day I bring it?

  4. Branch requires escalation to internal legal or trust department

    Ask: If this branch can't open the account, which department can, and can I book an appointment with them directly?

  5. Branch system does not recognize this trust type

    Ask: How would you title an account owned by an irrevocable trust, and which account product would you use?

  6. Branch instructs the customer to bring an attorney

    Ask: What should I bring so the account can be opened in one visit?

  7. Branch insists on a large opening deposit

    Ask: Is there a minimum opening deposit or minimum balance on that account, and what does it cost if the balance stays low?

These are the points branches raise most often on this account type. The full Texas Miller Trust Setup Kit has the word-for-word response and the exact HHSC citation for each one.

If a branch still says no

This checklist gets past the first-attempt hesitation. The full Texas Miller Trust Setup Kit has the word-for-word response for each point above, cited to HHSC's own current policy manual, plus a pre-filled monthly funding worksheet using the 2026 income cap of $2,982 and the day-before-you-file checklist. It's backed by a money-back guarantee: if HHSC rejects the trust because of something in the kit, families get a full refund.

See the Texas kit →

Verify the sources yourself

Shared by Maple Grove Skilled Nursing · prepared with Miller Trust Guide · millertrustguide.com

Informational only. This checklist is not legal advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a licensed attorney. Neither Maple Grove Skilled Nursing nor Miller Trust Guide is a law firm, and neither drafts legal documents or advises on individual situations. State Medicaid rules vary and change; verify all information with HHSC and an attorney licensed in Texas before acting.