If your loved one’s qualify the Idaho Medicaid program is an option for paying for senior home care services in Idaho. The Idaho Medicaid program can also fund other forms of long term care.

Idaho Medicaid Eligibility Requirements

• For a single person their income cannot be more than $689 a month, they can own one car and one house, and their assets cannot
  exceed $2000.
• For a married couple the income cap is $1378 a month, they can own one car and one house, and their assets cannot exceed more than $3000.
• Must be an Idaho resident.
• Must be a United States citizen or legal non-citizen.

If you would like more information about Idaho Medicaid eligibility or need help with a loved one or friend you can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Are you looking into the best options for funding long term care for yourself or a loved one? Chances are, if not now, there will come a time in the future when you’ll be seeking real options. Whether they are looking for elderly home care, an assisted living facility, or nursing home care, the majority of Americans will need help to maintain their day to day functions as they age. Ideally, socking away a small fortune to prepare for the inevitable is ideal. However, if this isn’t an option, there are valid alternatives to help fund long term care. In this post, we’ll be focusing on the Medicaid option. The purpose of this blog is to give a basic overview of Medicaid eligibility, benefits, and potential pitfalls.

Medicaid Eligibility

Medicaid is a jointly funded Federal and State program for individuals with low incomes and few resources. Since Medicaid is administered at the state level, eligibility criteria will vary depending on the state in which one lives. As a general rule, Medicaid recipients applying for long term care must meet the following criteria:

• Limited income. Income eligibility criteria will vary from state to state (long term care Medicaid for your State may have a higher income allowance than straight Medicaid).
• Limited assets. Most States limit assets to around $2,000, however an individual may own their home and a vehicle.
• Functional eligibility. In order to be eligible for long term care benefits, applicants must meet a certain criteria. Generally speaking, they must demonstrate that their is a true need for day to day assistance, that renders them unable to remain independent on their own.

To find out your state’s eligibility requirements, call your local Department of Human Services, or look them up online. Applications can almost always be printed from the websites and mailed in for your convenience.

Medicaid Benefits

So what benefits are available once an applicant has been qualified for Medicaid? For those who wish to remain in their homes, most states offer waiver programs which allow for an array of health care professionals to provide home care services to them in their private residences. These services include the provision of Personal Care Attendants, C.N.A.’s and Registered Nurses. Coupled with case management, these services allow for nearly every facet of senior home care to be provided, allowing maximum independence for the recipient. The trend in recent years has shifted towards long term care in a home and community based setting, allowing for both greater freedom of choice, and offsetting the mental anguish that can come from being uprooted from familiar settings. For those needing a higher level of care, Assisted Living Facilities, and Skilled Nursing Facilities are also available through Medicaid benefits.

Potential Medicaid Pitfalls

There are some important things to consider before applying for Medicaid for long term care. There is a look back period in which Medicaid will not only verify current assets, but all assets over the last 5 years. Simply put, it is not considered acceptable for considerable assets to disappear without coming under intense scrutiny. An experienced elder-law attorney can be utilized to assist families and individuals in setting up trusts and legitimately spending down their assets in order to meet eligibility requirements. Medicaid also has an estate recovery clause that mandates for individuals age 55 or older, states are required to seek recovery of payments from the individual’s estate for nursing facility services, and those enrolled in a Home and Community Based Services Waiver Program. A Medicaid recipient’s assets from his/her home will not be recovered while a spouse is living there. In addition setting up a survivorship deed for a spouse can exclude a home from being recovered even after the surviving spouse has passed.

Medicaid is a viable option for long term care. In many situations, the same level of quality care being provided to persons paying privately, or utilizing long-term care policies is available through Medicaid as well. Many in home senior care agencies, including many of your local Vida Certified Home Agencies accept Medicaid. In addition, thanks to more stringent regulation, the level of quality care at the Nursing Home level has increased across the board. If you are considering Medicaid as an option for long term care, please do your own due diligence, consider the benefits and drawbacks, speak to your local Department of Human Services, and consider all available options.

If you would like more information about Medicaid or need help with a loved one or friend you can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, visit our Senior Home Care Agency Directory, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!

Trent Rushton of Advanced Home Health Care in Boise, Idaho shares ten things you should know before choosing a long-term care insurance policy. One of the many benifits of long-term care insurance is that it covers both senior home care services and assisted living facility care.

Long-Term Care is Different From Traditional Medical Care

Someone with a prolonged physical illness, a disability or a cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease often needs long-term care. Long-term care services may include help with activities of daily living, non-medical in-home care, home health care & skilled nursing, respite care, hospice care, adult day care, care in a nursing home or care in an assisted living facility.

Long-Term Care Can be Expensive

The cost depends on the amount, type and location of care you need. In 2001, the national average cost of nursing home care was $56,000 per year, assisted living facilities reported $22,476 per year and home care costs ranged from $12,000 to $16,000 per year.

You Have Options When Paying for Long-Term Care

People pay for long-term care in a variety of ways. These include using personal resources, long-term care insurance and Medicaid for those who qualify. Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance and the health insurance you may have from work usually will not pay for long-term care. Long-term care insurance will pay for some or all of your long-term care.

Decide Whether Long-Term Care Insurance is for You

Whether you should buy a long-term care insurance policy will depend on your age, health status, overall retirement goals, income and assets. For instance, if your only source of income is a Social Security benefit or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), you probably should not buy long-term care insurance since you may not be able to afford the premium. On the other hand, if you have a large amount of assets but do not want to use them to pay for long-term care, you may want to buy a long-term care insurance policy. Many people buy a policy because they want to stay independent of government aid or the help of their family. They don’t want to burden anyone with having to care for them. However, you should not buy a policy if you can’t afford the premium or are not sure you can pay the premium for the rest of your life.

Pre-Existing Condition Limitations

A long-term care insurance policy usually defines a pre-existing condition as one for which you received medical advice or treatment or had symptoms within a certain period before you applied for the policy. Some companies look further back in time than others. Many companies will sell a policy to someone with a pre-existing condition. However, the company may not pay benefits for long-term care related to that condition for a period after the policy goes into effect, usually six months. Some companies have longer pre-existing condition periods or none at all.

Know Where to Look for Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-term care insurance is available to you in several different forms. You can buy an individual policy from a private insurance company or agent, or you can buy coverage under a group policy through an employer or association membership. The federal government and several state governments offer long-term care insurance coverage to their employees, retirees and their families. You can also get long-term care benefits through a life insurance policy. Some states have long-term care insurance programs designed to help people with the financial impact of spending down to meet Medicaid eligibility standards. Check with your state insurance department or counseling program to see if these policies are available in your state.

Check With Several Companies and Agents

Contact several companies and agents before you buy a long-term care policy. Be sure to compare benefits, the types of facilities covered, limits on your coverage, what is not covered and the premium. Policies from different insurance companies often have the same coverage and benefits but may not cost the same. Be sure to ask companies about their rate increase history and whether they have increased the rates on the long-term care insurance policies.

Don’t be Misled by Advertising

Most celebrity endorsers are professional actors paid to advertise, not insurance experts. It is also important to note that Medicare does not endorse or sell long-term care insurance policies, so be wary of advertising that suggests Medicare is involved. Do not trust cards you get in the mail that look like official government documents until you check with the government agency identified on the card.

Make Sure the Insurance Company is Reputable

To help you find out if an insurance company is reliable, you can take the following actions: Stop before you sign anything, call your state insurance department and confirm that the insurance company is licensed to do business in your state. After you make sure they are licensed, check the financial stability of the company by checking their ratings. You can get ratings from some insurer rating services for free at most public libraries.

Review Your Contract Carefully

When you purchase long-term care insurance, your company should send you a policy. You should read the policy and make certain you understand its contents. If you have questions about your insurance policy, contact your insurance agent for clarification. If you still have questions, turn to your state insurance department or insurance counseling program.

If you would like more assistance or information you can always call us at 1-866-273-2995, or fill out this simple online form. Get Help Now!