Medicaid is among the most complicated, complicated areas of the law, and I usually think it’s deliberately made so in an effort to hold individuals from qualifying or to discourage them from attempting to qualify. It’s the authorities medical program for the poor.
Medicaid is commonly confused with Medicare, which is the federal government medical program for the elderly. Virtually all senior citizens qualify for Medicare, so long as they have contributed to the system over their working lives. For those seniors who do not qualify, they have a chance to “buy into” the system by paying premiums set by the federal government. Benefits under Medicare are limited; thus, seniors may purchase “Medigap” or Medicare supplement insurance policies that pay benefits the place Medicare leaves off.
Medicaid, however, is a joint program between the federal authorities and the states to provide medical care for the poor. As such, it’s regulated first by Congress, then by state Legislatures. Those lawmakers have set the standards by which People and everlasting residents (and only these lessons of people, not “unlawful aliens”, to dispel a rumor) can qualify for government-paid medical care. While qualifications can fluctuate from state to state, there are a number of concepts that apply across-the-board.
Though Medicaid has programs for poor people of all ages, my law practice concentrates on the elderly and those are the programs upon which I focus. Depending on the state, Medicaid can supply nursing residence care and/or at-house care for seniors in need. Most people are aware of nursing residence care programs, but at-dwelling care programs, if they exist in your state, can offer an excellent alternative to nursing dwelling care. New York, for instance, gives nursing dwelling care and in addition has an bold “neighborhood”, or at-dwelling, Medicaid program; Florida, however, gives nursing home care and leaves it to the individual counties to provide whatever type of at-residence care they’ll afford.
The program most individuals are aware of is nursing home care, referred to in New York as “chronic care Medicaid” and referred to in Florida as “institutional care Medicaid”. If a person becomes so infirm that they can’t perform sure Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), they are unsafe living at dwelling, and so they want medical assistance, they might need permanent nursing residence care. Contrary to well-liked belief, Medicare (the program for seniors) does NOT pay for nursing residence care; it only pays for limited “expert nursing care”, which often takes place in a nursing home with rehabilitation facilities. A very good “Medigap” policy will pick up where Medicare leaves off, paying as much as one hundred days in full for skilled nursing care.
If a senior wants everlasting nursing home care, however, they are either going to should pay for it out of their own pocket, with long-term care insurance, or by qualifying for Medicaid. For individuals who can afford to pay for his or her own nursing house care, kudos to you. For individuals who own or are contemplating purchasing long-time period care insurance policies, be a smart shopper: Those insurance policies usually pay a set each day rate (a fraction of the full every day rate, especially over time) for nursing residence care for a set period of time (usually only a few years), and regularly don’t go into effect till the individual is in the nursing house for so many days. It is important to read these policies careabsolutely and understand them
The final option, Medicaid, is for the poor or those that have modest assets. Whether an infirm senior citizen will qualify for Medicaid to pay for nursing house care is determined by whether or not they did advance Medicaid planning or whether their current financial standing instantly qualifies them. Sometimes an individual has to “spend down” some of their property before they qualify, though there are particular ways in which some assets might be shielded.
In the event you or the one you love is desirous about learning more about Medicaid and proper planning for future qualification, make an appointment to see an elder lawyer who can evaluation your monetary picture and devise a strategy that can assist you meet your future needs.
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