1) An Alzheimer’s patient cannot qualify for Medicaid
Untrue. The key to applying for Medicaid benefits for home care is ADLs (activities of daily living). Medical professionals must provide a detailed explanation by expanding on the ADLs such as the patient forgets to eat, is suffering from malnutrition, etc.
2) I will lose my house if I apply for Medicaid
Untrue. The home is considered an exempt asset and it’s not counted as a resource in the Medicaid application process. The house should, however, be transferred out of the patient’s name to avoid future possible recovery of Medicaid benefits.
3) Even if I qualify for home care benefits, I will lose my current home care worker and must use Medicaid‘s home care attendant
Untrue. The patient can apply to retain their current home care worker through a program called the ”consumer directed personal assistance program” (CDPAP). The program serves as a fiscal liaison between Medicaid and the patient’s family. The patient’s family will continue to supervise the home care worker, and a fiscal intermediary will manage the home attendant’s payroll.
4) I can’t apply for benefits because I have transferred assets but I must wait for a 60 month period to expire
Untrue. The 60 month rule is not a penalty, but rather a look back of the applicants financials. This look back occurs for all Medicaid application for benefits. for nursing home Medicaid applications it is 60 months. For home care benefits, Medicaid will look back of 30 months. In this financial review, if Medicaid discovers a gift transfer or a transfer for which you did not receive value in return, then Medicaid will impose a penalty period for that uncompensated transfer. The length of the penalty period is dependent on the amount of the transfers that are discovered in looking back the 30 or 60 months of finances. As elder law attorneys, we can explain the calculation of the penalty period.
5) I can’t qualify for Medicaid, because I have too much money in my bank account
Untrue. As long as the patient puts in place an asset protection plan, he or she can qualify for benefits. This is what makes early planning crucial especially for Alzheimer patients.