Follow
Share

He has Medicare and Medicaid. I called the Social Security office today to ask for an increase and was denied. The new administrator at the AL is new and so far has been of no help. The lady said either family has to pay the rest or find a new home somewhere else, like my home! Um, no to my home!
Now what? I need to know what kind of questions to ask and  to whom...any kind of advice that's out there please direct me!

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Find Care & Housing
If his needs are being met, he is safe, well, warm and cared for......Pay the $10 difference and be happy that is the only gap in funds...the rest of us are selling everything to pay $6500 a month or more out of pocket!
Helpful Answer (30)
Report

10 bucks is nothing and that is not the problem here. For the past two years my husband and I have forked out thousands of dollars for his care and yes they have sucked all his assets out of him to get to the point where he's at now. Which I agree that's how it should be!! NOT Looking for a free ride for him!! Husband and I are trying to plan for our damn future too.

 By the way we are purchasing his property at fair market value at the amount of $100,000 which will go straight back into Medicaid.   We have done everything by the books!   I'm NOT Complaining about the 10 bucks, what do people do when they don't have family to help them out continuously?!?

 What if he didn't have us who would come up with the 10 bucks?! because he has nothing!
They're telling my dad he'll only get 30 bucks a month to spend

"only gap in funds" I WISH!
Helpful Answer (13)
Report

Is Medicaid paying towards his rent? I can't believe you got an AL for only $650 a month. If Medicaid is paying most of it then u need to call them to see if they will meet the increase.
Helpful Answer (8)
Report

Its an ASLF, he's in the supported living part and yes paid by Medicaid.
Helpful Answer (2)
Report

Not to add to your frustration, but I too would just pay the $10. And I get it about trying to prepare for your future; sometimes it's just one more thing to add to the frustrations we have in trying to care for parents. I say count your blessings on this one.
Helpful Answer (8)
Report

Bella, let me first say our "system" for paying for care for the disabled and elderly in this country sucks. Your frustration is totally justified. That won't pay the ALF, but take some comfort in company.

Apparently this facility took Medicaid in payment in the past. Apparently they still accept Medicaid payments.

Medicaid has a schedule of what they pay for what level of service. It is pretty much never the full asking price of the facility. That is why not all facilities accept Medicaid -- if they do, they also have to accept what Medicaid is willing to pay. Let's say this ALF charges $3,800 per month for the level of care your father is getting. Medicaid says, yes, we'll pay for this eligible person, but our schedule caps out at $3,000 for this level of care. [I'm making these numbers up.] This person must pay you $650/month, and we will pay $2,350. The facility cannot make someone else pay the $800 they come up short (compared to self-pay). They either accept the Medicaid number or they can't receive any Medicaid (for any residents).

The facility could raise the fee to $4,000. Private pay residents will have to pay the increase, but Medicaid will still be paying $2350, and Dad will still be paying $650, per law and legal contract. These amounts would change if 1) Dad's SS goes up or 2) Medicaid adjusts their fee schedule.

BTW, did Dad's SS amount go up a little for 2018?

Keep in mind that when Dad gets the proceeds from the sale of his house, he will not be eligible for Medicaid until that money is gone. For that period he will be paying the private-pay rate, which is higher than Medicaid has been paying. And it is higher than it would otherwise have to be, because the private pay fees are in effect subsidizing the Medicaid rates.

With funds so tight, I hate to suggest this, but it could save you money and hassle in the long run. Consult an attorney who specializes in Elder Law. The house sale should be handled correctly and also in the best interests of your Dad.

Try calling your Area Agency on Aging to see if there may be some legal assistance available.

By the way, did I mention that the way we pay for medical care in this country sucks?
Helpful Answer (17)
Report

My SS payment went up $46 this year! If I were in a facility on Medicaid, all of that extra $46 would go to the facility. I would still keep my personal allowance. (In my state it is $90.)

The deal is, I turn over all of my SS money except the personal allowance, and Medicaid pays the rest up to their limit, and the facility simply has to accept that.

So ... if Dad got a small increase this year in his SS, then the AL is justified in expecting him to turn that increase over to them. That's the deal. They are still losing money compared to their private-pay rates.

Do get some legal assistance with the property purchase. This stuff gets complicated.
Helpful Answer (10)
Report

The truth really is that the people ruling this country hate poor people. The more they suffer the better. We could have decent systems but that would be socialism, ok for the rich and for big business, but not for anyone else. As long as voters fall for the "socialism" nonsense, things will only get worse. If you think the "good old days" were good, then know that until Social Security began, it was commonplace for old people to kill themselves once they could not longer work. Fact.
Helpful Answer (8)
Report

Just have to say...SS was not meant to completely take care of you in your old age. It was felt by 65 you may have a pension, savings and own your own home mortgage free. Now I realize that for a lot of people they lived from pay to pay and couldn't save or own a home but that was the mindset. Social security just had a pay raise. It's done once a year. Mine...was taken up with the increase of part B. I do feel, with the amount of elderly living till 90s, that our government needs to help out with these high costs of Las. Not everyone is ready for a NH. Families are having enough problems living on one salary without having to quit a job to take care of a LO.
Helpful Answer (9)
Report

Jeannie has a point. If he is on Medicaid then they have to except what they get. Man has no money because they r taking it all. You are not responsible for the difference.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Look at Venuezela. How is socialism working for them? No thank you.

While the US can do better, I agree with JoAnn. SS isn’t designed to take care of all our needs. Nor was our government designed to. 
Helpful Answer (5)
Report

Bella - SS has a cost of living increase for 2018. The additional $10 owed to the facility is due to the CoL. He’s on Medicaid with Medicaid requiring him to do a co-pay or SOC (share of cost) of all his monthly income to the NH less whatever your state has for the personal needs allowance.

So if income $789.00 & PNA $60, then his copay to NH$ 729.00.

If he doesn’t, the facility is required to file a noncompliance report to the state’s Medicaid program. Really you don’t want to go there.....

Please heed a Jeanne’s advice on getting an atty to review your dads property sale. All real property sales are recorded to the penny. And all the proceeds from the sale is totally your dads. Dad cannot easily repay you for any costs incurred to get the house market ready, as it looks like gifting which is not allowed by Medicaid. Also depending on how Medicaid interacts for property laws in your state, there could be a lien on the property that will surface when buyers are getting title search done to get thier mortgage. There will be a cloud on the title and needs to be lifted in order for sale to go through. It can put time onto closing and can be a problem for doing a sale as mortgage co can place a window in which sale must happen. Speak with atty & Realtor as to how this might be needed to be included in the Listing Agreement.
Helpful Answer (6)
Report

For anyone reading this, if you think it’s difficult now.....just wait. The tax deal signed in Dec will not be able to meet projections. States need to do balanced budgets and the only way will be to get close to budget will be to reduce the states share of cost of any “at need” programs. The requirements of work for Medicaid done this week is just the tip of what’s coming.

LTC is a huge part of Medicaid, somewhere like 35-60% of costs. Feds require skilled nursing care to be a benefit. What I think will happen is that the medical “at need” aspect of Medicaid will be drastically narrowed.... that to enter SNF you will need 2 step MD certification (like what Hospice does, so there’s a system already used like this) to show medical “need” and they must be coming from a multi day hospitalization (so first 20/21 days paid by MediCARE, so less paid by state & they have a medical chart that is easily accessed) and medical recertification every 90 days and a part of the existing every 90 day care plan meeting required by MediCARE. No more moving into a NH from living at home, IL or AL. It’ll reduce NH admits 30-40% I’d bet. Just too bad for families if elder has to move in with them cause their still good on ADLs....

You know all of us who post on this site are experts on Aging & LTC.
Share your knowledge.
Folks just have no idea what AL, NH costs or how tight Medicaid eligibility is. 
Or that MediCARE does not pay for LTC.
Or that Medicaid requires a share of cost of their income.
Work in detail info you know & experiences you’ve had into every day conversations. I’ve stopped being surprised that folks have no idea that NH cost 7K to 15K a month but it’s still good to enlighten folks with that dire info!
Helpful Answer (14)
Report

noncompliance equals what ?
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Noncompliance means they are reviewed to determine Medicaid eligibility and become ineligible if something amiss. Medicaid acceptance is not a 1 time process in my experience. There are all sorts of things that trigger Medicaid noncompliance. 

There probably are elders who this very month find themselves now just over Medicaid income maximum due to the COLA increase by SS. So ineligible, noncompliant. 

Another compliance can be if your state does annual renewal. If so, it has to be submitted within a specific time frame or they can be non-compliant & so ineligible for Medicaid. My mom had an annual renewal for her NH Medicaid that had a multi page questionnaire and required submission of last 4 months of bank statements (for month questionnaire sent and prior 3) along with her current awards letters, the last tax assessor statement on her house and a repeat of some of the items in the initial application (like burial policy). Renewal was about 30 pages. Mailed to me as DPOA and required my signature. So places responsibility on DPOA as to accurate. With consequences for leaving stuff out or fraud. I had no idea renewals were even done & had packed all paperwork. For more fun, the renewal letter had several days delay from inside letter date to actual postal mail date.... now that was not a fun weekend with major time at FedExKinkos to copy & fax. For year 2, I was totally ready. 

Another compliance would be if they received $..... like they became the beneficiary of deceased relatives Estate. DPOA needs to let medicaid know. I think in my mom’s Medicaid it required any changes in status to be reported within 21 days. $ will surface eventually.....
Helpful Answer (6)
Report

Dads SS increase this year was "$5".
Has lived at AL a total of about 16 months...(moved back home for 3 months last Spring) then back to AL.
Not once has he received any allowance. It's been a constant battle with the "officials" in charge of the finances there at AL. No one can give an answer why...it's always "we'll check on that " or "we need to contact such and such "etc. etc...
Anything my dad needs he gets from my husband and I, we pay his pharmacy bill that Medicare or Medicaid doesn't cover, we buy his toilet paper, clothes, rolaids, milk/food for his fridge, you name it!  It's endless!!

Am I complaining? Yes! Because this father of mine was not there for me growing up when I needed things. Not material things, just the basic stuff it takes to raise a kid! My mom did it all. Dad had a girlfriend and took care of her two kids, he never came around or tried to call me or visit me or ask me how I was doing.
Skipped out on child support too and was forced to pay or face jail time. When I was born he told my mom that I was now her entertainment!
In my opinion this man I call dad is very lucky to have me for a daughter but most of all he's lucky that I married a man that has made me to do the right thing and that was to step up and take care of my damn father.

So yeah we will keep paying his way...who cares about the 10 bucks
Helpful Answer (9)
Report

Jeannegibbs and JoAnn29 are correct re Medicaid.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Bella, is Medicaid paying for Dads AL and it's required that his SS be used with it? If so and they are not giving you a statement of his PNA report them. Call SS or even an Ombudsmen. Mom was private pay for two months and her SS was used towards payment. They started her PNA then. She has about five months accrued that I need to prove executorship to get reimbursed now she has passed. Your Dad is entitled to that money if they r using his SS towards his rent. They should have an account set up with finance. Hope you saved receipts so u can get reinbursed.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

Just have to ask to understand your question: Is that $660 a mon for rent (that is crazily cheap) or an increase of $660 a mon (that is a huge jump in rent)?
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Bell's dad is in a facility that accepts Medicaid. $ 660 per month is his Share of Cost (soc). It's a $10. per month increase.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

This whole country is rigged. But not in favor of most people. I predict that in 50 years, Americans will be the immigrants scratching on the doors of any country that will let them in.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

What does AL stand for?
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN SAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR 10 TO POSSIBLY 20 YEARS IN A FACILITY. Future generations will not have pensions. Social security is not keeping up with costs. We will all be Medicaid recipients in the future...just sayin. Certainly most of us born after 1960.
Helpful Answer (4)
Report

i can see that perhaps an unspoken concern is what will you do if the "gap" continues to increase? I think that may be the underlying issue. Of course, you will pay the $10 because you are being forced to. What happens if the gap then becomes $200 and they know that you will pay that as well. I do not know enough about medicaid to even venture a guess. Was your father a veteran? If so, is he eligible for any VA benefits?
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

Placement for Mom is looming so about to enter the Medicaid arena. Did you folks have the facility fill out the application or is better to have an Attorney do it.

The whole process is intimidating altho I have kept receipts for Mom's spending on household items & utilities it just seems like they are out to get us. Mom put the house in a trust yrs ago.........sounds crazy but it might have been easier if she didn't. It's a money pit from neglect over the last several yrs since her husband died from ALZ. It seems like I could place her & tell Medicare to take it all.
Any advice would be appreciated.......
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Corinna, AL stands for Assisted Living.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Upstream, it's possible to provide for a decade or more of long-term care in a facility, but for most people this requires long-term investments that grow for decades, too. It won't happen simply by putting money into a savings account or similar low-paying investment (unless you have a sufficiently-large windfall). Your money has to have its own "career" and work as hard as you do. However, it's true that for a lot of people this simply isn't going to happen.
Helpful Answer (1)
Report

Pay the $10 and be grateful that is all you have to pay per month to take care of your parent. Sorry but as someone who cares for a mother with Alzheimer because I don't feel comfortable putting her in an AL or Nursing home, if you don't want him in your house and he is in a good place, then suck it up and stop complaining about $10. That is less than 3 Starbucks coffees or packs of cigarettes a month.
Helpful Answer (0)
Report

Bella, I am so sorry you are having to take this journey. I am in a similar situation with my Dad. I was disposable when he had the health and money to do what he wanted, including raising the 2 daughters of his 3rd wife. I think he believed that the teeny bopper wife would stick around until he passed, only stuck around until all of his money was gone and she could get benefits from his Social security (that 10 year thing). They were together for 18 years, i had minimal contact with him, he had moved on and had a new family. Now he is an old man and is P**sed off that i will not let him live at my house. Oh well, i will not be guilted into having a narcissistic, self centered, slob ruining the joy and peace I have in my life, the bitter resentment is getting better, lots of prayers and tears. I don't hate him, I have already mourned the loss of my dad and I help this person by making sure he is in a place where all of his NEEDS are met. It's more then he did for me, so I feel your anger, hurt, frustration and resentment in this situation. I live in a state that he can not be put out of a facility without a safe place to go and I do not have to take him, I can say I am not a safe release plan and at that point the State has to step in and become his guardian. It has not come to that but if I had some AL telling me pay up or out he goes I would contact the council on aging and find out who I report this facility to and how to get him made a ward of the State, I refuse to take responsibility for him. Maybe someday I will feel different but not as long as he continues to be what he is and I still don't matter unless he wants something from me. Keep you head up and don't let anyone bully you into bringing this man to your home. God Bless You and heal your heart.
Helpful Answer (8)
Report

Bella, I didn't read through replies so maybe someone has already said this. Seems what you need to do is apply your father for SSI income, based on need + elderly. The minimum financial monthly amount is $700 per person, and it's my understanding that that is a minimum income set forth by U.S. gov't (otherwise I don't know how they came up with that specific $ amount). SSI is what makes up any difference if your father doesn't receive $700 or more per month in Soc Security.

My father was receiving $350 Soc Sec. He also gets a small amount of VA. SSI provides him the difference between those totals and $700 per month.

Hope this helps.
Helpful Answer (3)
Report

This question has been closed for answers. Ask a New Question.
Ask a Question
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter