topic Re: Medicaid Help in Wellness

Medicaid Help

Ainhisg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 12:51:28 GMT

My mom will soon be eligible for Medicaid. My state (Missouri) offers online or paper applications. Where/how does a person submit the documentation? I can't see the application online unless I start answering questions, so the application may state this information, but I can't see it. She doesn't qualify, yet, because of asset transfer, so I can't fill out any information. Any help and all advice welcome as I want to be prepared when she will qualify this summer.

Re: Medicaid Help

50Mickey — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 13:12:17 GMT

I worked for the Medicaid program for years before I retired. It used to a personal office visits to complete the application and you were told what documentation to submit and you had a dealine to get this information in. But now at least in my state you either apply on line or complete the form and leave it at the office and then they call you for a phone interview and you willl be told what documentation to submit. In either case start gathering the documentation now. Birth certificate, bank statements, insurance policies, verification of pension, tax informaition. and anything else that you will need. You already know about the transfer of assets penalty so you are ahead of the game. If you are unsure of how to apply call the local office that handles Medicaid. if your. mom is in a nursing home they usually handle the applicaion process for you.

Re: Medicaid Help

Ainhisg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 13:29:37 GMT

@50Mickey , I can't thank you enough for your reply! I couldn't find anywhere online after searching this morning that said "how" the process worked. My state may be different, but at least this gives me an idea. It sounds like the documentation is turned into the local office?

I'm going to be gathering documentation for Mom's taxes today, which is how my whole thought process started on the Medicaid documentation that I will need this summer. I did find a checklist online for Missouri, and even if it's not quite accurate, it will be a good place to start, and I can start gathering the documents. My mom is in assisted living. I will ask the administrator about the application. Thanks, again!

Re: Medicaid Help

Still Raining — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:37:10 GMT

When I went on Medicare, I did not want to start SS, so based on my "lack" of any income I was put on Medicaid by the state. Surprise!

I was required to appear in person with all my paperwork to appeal. I was told on the phone what to bring. Good luck finding it all.

Re: Medicaid Help

Nuttmeg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 14:45:24 GMT

@50Mickey

Most assisted living facilities have social workers on staff.

Re: Medicaid Help

Peaches McPhee — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 15:16:58 GMT

LIkely your local Dept of Human Services (or whatever name they call themselves in your County). If you drop it off, be sure to make a copy first, and a receipt.

Re: Medicaid Help

Dusty1 — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 16:03:18 GMT

My sister & I started applying for Medicaid for our Mom last summer. We knew that she wouldn't be accepted until December, but it took us several tries to get it right.

We went to the local Council On Aging with our paperwork. They reviewed it. Called & told us what else they needed or what they needed more information on.

We would get that new information together & drop it off at the local office & then the call would come about more information.

Mom owned nothing. We had sold her house & cars when she went into the Memory Care facility, so we were depleting her cash until she was eligilble for the Medicaid.

Still they needed so much paper work & answers.

They were very nice.

We had informed the MC that we would be applying for Medicaid last February. They were not really any help to us.

Then in December when we were approved for Medicaid the facility told us that we would have to move Mom, because they could not accept any more patients paying with Medicaid. We had been self paying for 4 years.

We spoke to the COA attorney & they told us to pay her SS to the facility for Jan & then wait & see if they sent us an eviction notice & we would go on from there.

Mom died on January 18.

I hope things go easily & smoothly for you.

It is good that you are getting everything together & then start filling out the form, so you have time to gather whatever else you need. They will need clarification on deposits & withdrawls from her accounts & to see where her money has been spent.

Good luck.

Re: Medicaid Help

Tadaki — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 17:32:20 GMT

I thought you were allowed to keep your home. Is that not true?

Re: Medicaid Help

Ainhisg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 19:50:34 GMT

@Dusty1 thank you so much for your reply!!! We put everything but one checking account in a trust almost 5 years ago. I am spending down what is in the one checking account, and it should be down to almost nothing by the time we apply. I am not looking forward to all the red tape applying for Medicaid will entail after finally getting her approved for Veteran Aid and Attendance money 5 years ago--what a nightmare that was!

I am going to talk to the administrator at Mom's facility to ask if her paying with Medicaid will be an issue like what you encounted. I had no idea something like that could happen! Thank you for telling me as we have been self-paying this whole time, too.

Re: Medicaid Help

sann — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 21:29:55 GMT

@Nuttmeg wrote:
@50Mickey
Most assisted living facilities have social workers on staff.

All Assisted Living centers in my State do not accept medicaid.Nursing Homes yes, but Assisted Living is private pay.

Re: Medicaid Help

Nuttmeg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 22:29:32 GMT

@sann wrote:
@Nuttmeg wrote:
@50Mickey
Most assisted living facilities have social workers on staff.
All Assisted Living centers in my State do not accept medicaid.Nursing Homes yes, but Assisted Living is private pay.
@sann
I was in a rehabilitation facility last year for a few months. Medicare and my Medigap insurance covered the cost of my care.
Some rehab places did not want to accept me because that thought I was on Medicare and Medicaid. I have decent insurance and a wonderful family.

Re: Medicaid Help

Dusty1 — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 02:01:01 GMT

@sann We are in Ohio. Our facility does accept Medicaid, but you have to be self pay for a certain amount of time. We were for 4 years.

But, when we had depleted Mom's money they said that they would only accept 10 Medicaid residents at a time & they were at that amount, so Mom would have to move. That was NOT mentioned at any prior time.

When we spoke to the COA attorney he did tell us that the facility was responsible for finding some place that would accept Mom & her Medicaid. The MC did not tell us that, either, so we were a bit freaked out about finding someplace acceptable & bitter that they had let her live there for 4 years, paying $6000 a month & now they were going to make us find somewhere that she could live, that was a good place.

She was in a wheel chair, couldn't speak or communicate, legs & arms contracted, had to be fed pureed food, wearing diapers & had a Hoyer lift to get in & out of bed.

How were we going to find a clean, safe place in a short amount of time?! That would accept Medicaid & didn't have a wait list!

The aides & nurses in the MC are amazing & took wonderful care of Mom & my sister & I.

When we went in last week to take a planter to the aides & nurses I ran into the manager of the AL facility. She told me that she "was glad things had worked out".

My Mom died. But, she was glad that it had worked out.

Re: Medicaid Help

Ainhisg — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 13:02:56 GMT

@Dusty1 , I just read your last message. Glad that things worked out? I'm sure she didn't mean it like it came out, but could anymore inappropriate words have been used?

I have a phone conference appointment with our attorney next week to see exactly when I can file (based on the asset transfer) and am also going to speak to the admin at Mom's facility to make sure we don't get into a pickle like you did. I also downloaded the application to see what I'm going to need. I'm going to fill it out (even though I'm not ready to send it or fill it out online) just to see what questions I'm going to have about the process. Some involve trust questions, so I will have those questions ready for the attorney. Others, I will have to do some research to see who to contact for my questions.

Re: Medicaid Help

Dusty1 — Tue, 04 Feb 2020 15:12:56 GMT

@Ainhisg You are doing it right. I do hope it all goes smoothly & my heart aches for you all that you have to do this at all.

Re: Medicaid Help

50Mickey — Wed, 05 Feb 2020 16:06:51 GMT

@Tadaki wrote:
I thought you were allowed to keep your home. Is that not true?

You can keep the home usually but the state most likely will place lien on it to recoup what Medicaid paid for the Nursing Home costs after the Recipient dies. At least that is the way it worked when I worked for Medicaid.

Re: Medicaid Help

JumpTheRope — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 10:17:16 GMT

@Still Raining wrote:
When I went on Medicare, I did not want to start SS, so based on my "lack" of any income I was put on Medicaid by the state. Surprise!

I was required to appear in person with all my paperwork to appeal. I was told on the phone what to bring. Good luck finding it all.

Arent you then eligible for the dual-eligibility, where Medicaid picks up the %20 that Medicare doesn’t cover?

I thought medicaid was IN ADDITION TO medicare, not a replacement?