When a loved one moves into a nursing home, Medicaid (or Medi-Cal here in California) is one of the most often used methods of payments. Medicaid has benefits because it helps those with limited income to pay for medical treatments when they would otherwise be unable to do so. The whole process of health insurance, what it covers, and what it doesn’t, has become a hot topic lately, and the issue is a very confusing one.
We would be doing you a disservice if we didn’t let you know that there are big drawbacks to using Medicaid as the primary mode of paying for a nursing home stay. For one, the use of Medicaid places a big limitation on which services can be used when it comes to senior care. For example, if you have a specific nursing home in mind for your mom or dad, there is a chance that they might not accept Medicaid as a method of payment. Be sure that you know what is accepted and what isn’t before you start making refined choices regarding the care of a loved one.
The biggest drawback of Medicaid is that the types of care that can be paid for are restricted. In most states, a nursing home is the only type of care that is covered. Some states do include home health care, but this is a trend that is still emerging. So far, it is proving to be beneficial in the states where it is employed because it has been shown to drastically reduce state costs. The evidence implies that other states will also adopt this process because of the money saving side of things. Unfortunately, changes of this magnitude can take many years. If you are looking for assisted living or most types of in-home care, Medicaid is not the right option for your family.
If Medicaid is the best option available to pay for a family member’s senior care, the process to qualify for this can be complicated in some cases. We encourage you to work with a trained social worker or an elder law attorney to ensure that you and your family stay compliant with the law while applying. The moving around of assets is permitted, but a very specific process must be followed. And while your mom or dad may apply for Medicaid before this takes place, the process of actually being eligible and approved can take much longer. Having a plan in place while this is going on is smart.
The process of paying for any sort of long term care, whether it be a nursing home, in-home care, or something else, can be confusing. Even if you pay out of pocket for a loved one’s care, it can be frustrating as you navigate the process. At Paradise In-Home Care, we try to make the process as easy as we can. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions on how to give your parents the best care you possibly can.
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