How does someone actually qualify for Medicaid if they are old enough to qualify for Medicare? Any input from Freepers who are familiar with these programs would be appreciated.
Generally speaking, Medicaid is designed to help the poor. Medicare is designed to help the old. One can qualify for both & many do.
Medicaid can pay for nursing home expenses (and does for most people in them). Medicare does not pay for nursing homes.
Not everyone on Medicaid or going on Medicaid is in these circumstances. However, my understanding is that because the DeathCare law expands who is eligible for Medicaid, a large number of those newly-eligible are folks with a bit more money and often some assets.
Here is a link to an article about the woman that I cited:
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303531204579207724152219590
It makes no mention of property in this article, but I can imagine that many people similarly-situated may have a home or a few assets, and find that they are being forced into Medicaid quite against their will, and for those with a few assets, against their own interests.
Expanded Medicaid eligibility - and forced enrollment - will ensnare more folks into this trap.
sitetest
Medicare doesn’t cover the full amount of many things, so some get medicaid in addition to bridge the difference. You have to be dirt poor for that in NY. That may change a bit with the new health care laws, but I don’t have any info about it.
When my Grandmother-in-law went into a nursing home (unnecessary at that time, and I argued strongly against) it was still a 3 year look back in NY. She had her own money to pay for the nursing home, and owned her personal home outright. I knew that the costs of the nursing home would blow through her funds (she was in great health, but unsteady on her feet)and that the state would attach her property, so I advised my future husband to get with her and the attorney to protect it.
She paid nearly $500,000. to that nursing home over four years, and wasn’t even in the “full care” ward until the last 10 months. She had enough funds to pay for her health coverage (had it for many years, nice premiums-good coverage)and prescriptions until the end but had to sign up for MEDI-CAID to cover the costs for the FACILITY once the bulk of her money was gone. We don’t feel the least guilty for protecting the house from the costs.
The last year that nursing home payments were made from her account it cost over $12,000 per month. Not including any actual medical care at all, which the state never paid a bit of.
My MIL was pissed that there was no money left, but I had warned her over and over what would happen, and advised the family to do it much differently. My MIL made the call because she didn’t want to be bothered with it all. She was FURIOUS when she found out that the house was being given to my husband. Tough shit for her. She wanted her mother out of the way, and didn’t want any responsibility for any of the maintenance and administration of the accounts, nursing home, property, attorneys, etc. She just wanted power of attorney, and expected the house. She got neither.
If you are poor you can be Medi/Medi, Medicare and Medicaid. My mom had nothing coming in but my dad’s social security and could not afford a Medicare gap policy so she qualified for Medi/Medi.