I am getting my parents info together to apply for the Medicaid spend down program but don't have access to any birth certificates. What can I do?

Is there a Bible with birthdates. How did they get Social Security?

If your in NOLA, you can go down to state annex on 1450 Poydras to Vital Statistics office to get a certificate of home birth. Take cash. & change for parking meters.

LA is CLOSED RECORDS state, so your folks will need to do this in person OR you take your birth certificate to show your their kid & getting it for them. If you just sent in a request in without including their ID or your legal documentation to them, then nothing can go forward due to its "closed records".

If your not in NOLA, google Office of Vital Statistics State of LA for the mailing address & form to request a certificate & items needed to submit to establish that you can get records for them. It's not simple.......

Also Orleans Parish Notarial Records & custodian dept was in basement of civil courts bldg on Loyola & got flooded with Katrina. Tons of documents destroyed from 1700's to late 1990's. State developed substitute forms for Orleans parish, but takes a couple of weeks more to do Research to sign off on substitute certificate allowed. I had to get one done for a HDLC hearing postKatrina & took like 10-12 weeks to get paperwork through as it had to be crossed with Tulane & Presbytere archives, those were fun days. Should not take as long now to get substitute records or certificates. Good luck.

Social security accepted my baptism records (when they declined my original birth certificate -- seems someone in the county where I was born was selling birth certificates!) Between that and the army records, I'd say you would be ok.

Check to see if he was on the census. That's what I had to do because my mom was born at home and there was no birth certificate

You should submit the baptismal certificates and Army papers. In most municipalities, baptismal certificates are accepted as approximate dates of birth.

Medicaid will contact you if they need more documentation.