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Ambriel Asked April 2016

What can I do to help my mother cover the cost of personal care home or assisted living?

I recently had to move my mother to an "Assisted Living Memory Care" facility. It's actually somewhere between a personal care home and skilled nursing facility. She only has SSI income and no assets, but the cost of the facility is higher than her income. She has medicare. Her bills are a medicare supplement and a dental bill, which makes her about $700 short each month to cover the facility. She doesn't qualify for medicaid because she is over the income limit by $190. She's not in good health (diabetic with multiple complications and under pain mgt care), but her doctors say she doesn't meet the criteria for a Skilled Nursing facility. Getting anyone on the phone at GA Medicaid is virtually impossible. She has QI medicaid, but should I and how do I get her on full medicaid? I thought it would help if she could drop the supplement and be covered by medicare and medicaid, but I am hitting bricks walls on that. Any thoughts? :)

pamstegma Apr 2016
Talk to the financial person at the facility. They will connect you to a benefits counselor who can help. There should not be a fee for this.
If she is already on Q1 program, she will automatically qualify for the Medicare Part D Extra Help program that provides financial assistance with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage (premiums and drug costs).

Angelkw Apr 2016
In general, Medicaid doesn't cover the cost of assisted living. It is for skilled nursing facilities like nursing homes and memory care. Each state is different though, it's best to contact your state's Medicaid office, or speak to the director or social worker in the assisted living for more information.

Angel

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