How To Qualify for Medicaid Long Term Care

Most people know that Medicaid provides assistance to people who couldn't otherwise get medical care, such as the low-income elderly, disabled, and children of poor families. Fewer people know that Medicaid will provide long term care to people who are having trouble managing their daily living tasks. If you or a loved one are worried that you might need long term care soon, you may be eligible for Medicaid. You must have a low income, as well as less than $2,000 in assets to qualify, and meet other criteria. Elderly people must be 65 years old or more to qualify for the Medicaid program. If you are already able to receive SSI payments, there is a very good chance that your long term care will be covered by Medicaid.

People who receive long term care from Medicaid come almost entirely from the elderly, blind and disabled groups of eligible beneficiaries. Very few of these people are actually receiving SSI payments, however. Certain provisions of the act which enabled the existence of Medicaid allow people who don't qualify for SSI to receive Medicaid under an alternate set of eligibility rules. In the past ten years, Medicaid enrollment has skyrocketed. As of 1998, 40 million people were receiving benefits through Medicaid. Now, that number is over 47 million, a little over one in seven Americans.

Financial eligibility for Medicaid in nursing homes or assisted living communities requires that the recipient be receiving SSI. If the recipient isn't receiving this benefit, they must have less than $2,000 in resources. Some states use lower limits, so be sure to check with your local Medicaid office to make sure that you qualify. These resources do not usually include personal residences and cars, but gifts or other transfers within 36 months of a community or nursing home stay must be counted, as well as all trusts created in the past 60 months.

If you are concerned about your eligibility for Medicaid, it is important to find out whether or not you will qualify. This article has attempted to communicate some of the guidelines for Medicaid qualification and long term care. However, each state's Medicaid eligibility requirements are different, so this information may not be accurate for where you live. The only way to find out for sure is to ask your state Medicaid office, either on the phone, through email, or by visiting in person. Medicaid coverage can be an important way for low income people to be able to afford the long term care that they need. Anyone who needs long term care themselves or has a loved one who will soon need long term care should inspect their options and find out if Medicaid will cover any portion of these expenses. Half of people who are currently 65 will need long term care at some point in their lives, but not everyone is prepared for this contingency.