Some people require skilled care services even at a young age. For example, some people in their early 50’s with advanced Parkinson’s Disease or Multiple Sclerosis find that the only way to afford needed services is to reside in a nursing home where Medical Assistance will cover the costs of care.
Unfortunately, while such people need intensive physical care, they often do not suffer from dementia and are decades younger than most other nursing home residents. Consequently, a nursing home would not to be the most appropriate care environment from a socialization point of view.
The good news is that in Maryland and other states, the Medicaid program sometimes will waive the requirement that one reside in a nursing home to obtain Medicaid benefits for long term care costs. These programs are known as Medicaid Waiver programs. However, there is a vast waiting list for the Medicaid Waiver program in Maryland, and it can take three or four years before one’s name rises to the top of the list.
Fortunately, there is a shortcut to the top of the Medicaid waiver waiting list. If an individual is receiving long term care in a nursing home and applies for and is awarded Medicaid, for which there is no waiting list, then, once Medicaid is established, such person could transfer to assisted living, or even return home and receive home care, and have the Medicaid dollars follow him out.
In other words, the Medicaid eligible nursing home resident can move to another care environment and immediately qualify for the Medicaid Waiver program, bypassing the waiting list altogether.
Thus, relatively young people who suffer from advanced debilitating disease may be able to obtain Medicaid dollars to cover the care costs in an appropriate care setting. However, such person may first have to undergo a less appropriate nursing home stay in order to secure such benefits.
The Gatesman Law Office assists clients in obtaining public benefits to cover essential and prohibitively expensive health care coverage which otherwise would be unavailable.