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By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington. Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services. APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid. We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour. APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment. You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints. Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights. APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.I agree that: A.I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information"). B.APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink. C.APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site. D.If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records. E.This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year. F.You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
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I live in Missouri my Medicare doesn’t care that I pay almost 400 and rent and I have a car and just paid 300 to fix it and they want me to pay a sped down of almost $300. How can I get help with that?
Why is there a spend down? Medicare does not do a spend down; but it does have a monthly premium if you are on Original Medicare. Or is this actually Medicaid that you are referring to and you are on a Medicaid program with a share of cost requirement?
Now, If this is about Medicare having a PartB premium of $175 a month taken from your Social Security retirement income every month, that is a fixed and firm cost to be on Original Medicare. However all States have buy-in program for low income / disabled, the Medicare Savings Program aka the MSP, which ties into your being a “dual” so on Medicaid as your secondary health insurance with Medicare as your primary health insurance with the State taking care of any & all premiums. To get onto a MSP, You would need to apply for low income Medicaid as health insurance and then file also for the MSP at the same time. If you have community / public health center in your city or the Area on Aging Office, there should be someone at either who can get you started on this.
the Medicare Savings Program also will pay for those who did not have the SSA 40 work quarters to be able to get Part A Medicare premium free and are stuck with a premium for Part A. It’s about 700,000 on this system nationally, a pretty small number.
States do the MSP as it shifts a lot of the cost for health care to being paid by the federal government rather than just purely paid by State Medicaid.
Your income is $1,300 a month and your rent is $400 a month? I'd say you're pretty lucky to be getting a rent for $400 a month which at that cheap price is probably subsidized and includes basic utilities. You also don't pay property tax or homeowner's insurance. You're on Medicaid so you don't pay for health insurance either which is a huge cost (my combined health insurance cost with my husband and son is your monthly income with a big deductible). Your rent being so low at $400 a month, you would likely qualify for SNAP benefits (food stamps) also.
So this leaves you with $1,100 dollars a month for things like care insurance, gas, and incidentals.
Learn how to budget money better. Do you have any expensive habits like smoking, drinking, gambling, or eating out that you could cut out to save money?
I was a homecare worker for a long time. While I was earning my living and often having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for supper because I had to make the rent and bills, many of my care clients were collecting their living and still complaining.
I remember one client (among many exactly like her) in particular. On SSI disability because she never worked and was disabled from morbid obesity and alcoholism . She'd often cry and complain and try to hit me up to "lend" her some money because the governent who already paid for her housing, utilities, food, health insurance, and a servant (myself) to cook her food, clean her apartment, drive her around, run her errands, and entertain her.
One day when she was sitting at the table smoking, eating her usual fast-food lunch, and scratching off lottery tickets she started to complain about how poor she was. I pointed at her three vices and told her that I work sometimes up to 60 hours a week but couldn't afford all that she could.
Study your household budget and what you spend money on. Then find things you can do without to save. Then save. If you can't keep your money in a bank account because of Medicaid spend-down rules, don't. Get a safety deposit box at the bank and save it in cash. You know a Rainy Day Fund. So when an unexpected expense like a car repair comes up, you can draw on that money.
My guess is $400 could be subsidized apt or a congregate housing situation. They are below market rates housing in most areas that do subsidized.
For those who are on SSA SSI / supplemental security income system, allowable rent tends to be 1/3 of their SSI. SSI max is $943.00 a month. Some get less than that. It’s a real real narrow program for its rules.
Do you have Medicare and are applying for Medicaid, the reason for spend-down?
Yes, your money is tight. Income does not include all that money for car repairs. It just doesn't. You may not be able to use your car. You can file a planned non-operation of vehicle (PNO).
Review your budget, tighten the reigns even tighter. Get food from food banks, or apply for EBT.
There is hope, because your rent is just under 1/3rd of your income.
Your budget will be very tight, and you need to seek help with food and clothing free.
I assume that you mean Medicaid, not Medicare, is that correct? Your spend down is usually the amount that must be spent in order for you to qualify for Medicaid help. You have to qualify both physically (in that you must prove need) as well as financially (which means you must have "less than" some dictated amount that is designated by your state, in this case Missouri.
When you say "they want me to pay a spend down of almost 300.00" do you mean IN TOTAL? because you could do that in one day at the grocery store. Or do you mean monthly as in your monthly income is too high according to income and yours monthly costs?
I would contact whomever gave you these numbers, because I cannot really understand just who wants what here. I cannot know if you correctly filled out your paperwork and if you included all monthly costs you have (utilities/ everything else).
I would look for legal aid, would try to get a social worker to help with applications and etc and explanations. Each individual case is so difficult and so dependent on your state and its rules that it would be difficult for a forum of strangers from all around the world to do much but wish you luck. Which we DO. I hope you will find someone to help you.
By proceeding, I agree that I understand the following disclosures:
I. How We Work in Washington.
Based on your preferences, we provide you with information about one or more of our contracted senior living providers ("Participating Communities") and provide your Senior Living Care Information to Participating Communities. The Participating Communities may contact you directly regarding their services.
APFM does not endorse or recommend any provider. It is your sole responsibility to select the appropriate care for yourself or your loved one. We work with both you and the Participating Communities in your search. We do not permit our Advisors to have an ownership interest in Participating Communities.
II. How We Are Paid.
We do not charge you any fee – we are paid by the Participating Communities. Some Participating Communities pay us a percentage of the first month's standard rate for the rent and care services you select. We invoice these fees after the senior moves in.
III. When We Tour.
APFM tours certain Participating Communities in Washington (typically more in metropolitan areas than in rural areas.) During the 12 month period prior to December 31, 2017, we toured 86.2% of Participating Communities with capacity for 20 or more residents.
IV. No Obligation or Commitment.
You have no obligation to use or to continue to use our services. Because you pay no fee to us, you will never need to ask for a refund.
V. Complaints.
Please contact our Family Feedback Line at (866) 584-7340 or ConsumerFeedback@aplaceformom.com to report any complaint. Consumers have many avenues to address a dispute with any referral service company, including the right to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office at: Consumer Protection Division, 800 5th Avenue, Ste. 2000, Seattle, 98104 or 800-551-4636.
VI. No Waiver of Your Rights.
APFM does not (and may not) require or even ask consumers seeking senior housing or care services in Washington State to sign waivers of liability for losses of personal property or injury or to sign waivers of any rights established under law.
I agree that:
A.
I authorize A Place For Mom ("APFM") to collect certain personal and contact detail information, as well as relevant health care information about me or from me about the senior family member or relative I am assisting ("Senior Living Care Information").
B.
APFM may provide information to me electronically. My electronic signature on agreements and documents has the same effect as if I signed them in ink.
C.
APFM may send all communications to me electronically via e-mail or by access to an APFM web site.
D.
If I want a paper copy, I can print a copy of the Disclosures or download the Disclosures for my records.
E.
This E-Sign Acknowledgement and Authorization applies to these Disclosures and all future Disclosures related to APFM's services, unless I revoke my authorization. You may revoke this authorization in writing at any time (except where we have already disclosed information before receiving your revocation.) This authorization will expire after one year.
F.
You consent to APFM's reaching out to you using a phone system than can auto-dial numbers (we miss rotary phones, too!), but this consent is not required to use our service.
Now, If this is about Medicare having a PartB premium of $175 a month taken from your Social Security retirement income every month, that is a fixed and firm cost to be on Original Medicare. However all States have buy-in program for low income / disabled, the Medicare Savings Program aka the MSP, which ties into your being a “dual” so on Medicaid as your secondary health insurance with Medicare as your primary health insurance with the State taking care of any & all premiums. To get onto a MSP, You would need to apply for low income Medicaid as health insurance and then file also for the MSP at the same time. If you have community / public health center in your city or the Area on Aging Office, there should be someone at either who can get you started on this.
the Medicare Savings Program also will pay for those who did not have the SSA 40 work quarters to be able to get Part A Medicare premium free and are stuck with a premium for Part A. It’s about 700,000 on this system nationally, a pretty small number.
States do the MSP as it shifts a lot of the cost for health care to being paid by the federal government rather than just purely paid by State Medicaid.
So this leaves you with $1,100 dollars a month for things like care insurance, gas, and incidentals.
Learn how to budget money better. Do you have any expensive habits like smoking, drinking, gambling, or eating out that you could cut out to save money?
I was a homecare worker for a long time. While I was earning my living and often having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for supper because I had to make the rent and bills, many of my care clients were collecting their living and still complaining.
I remember one client (among many exactly like her) in particular. On SSI disability because she never worked and was disabled from morbid obesity and alcoholism . She'd often cry and complain and try to hit me up to "lend" her some money because the governent who already paid for her housing, utilities, food, health insurance, and a servant (myself) to cook her food, clean her apartment, drive her around, run her errands, and entertain her.
One day when she was sitting at the table smoking, eating her usual fast-food lunch, and scratching off lottery tickets she started to complain about how poor she was. I pointed at her three vices and told her that I work sometimes up to 60 hours a week but couldn't afford all that she could.
Study your household budget and what you spend money on. Then find things you can do without to save. Then save. If you can't keep your money in a bank account because of Medicaid spend-down rules, don't. Get a safety deposit box at the bank and save it in cash. You know a Rainy Day Fund. So when an unexpected expense like a car repair comes up, you can draw on that money.
For those who are on SSA SSI / supplemental security income system, allowable rent tends to be 1/3 of their SSI. SSI max is $943.00 a month. Some get less than that. It’s a real real narrow program for its rules.
Yes, your money is tight. Income does not include all that money for car repairs. It just doesn't. You may not be able to use your car. You can file a planned non-operation of vehicle (PNO).
Review your budget, tighten the reigns even tighter. Get food from food banks, or apply for EBT.
There is hope, because your rent is just under 1/3rd of your income.
Your budget will be very tight, and you need to seek help with food and clothing free.
Can you move someone in?
Your spend down is usually the amount that must be spent in order for you to qualify for Medicaid help. You have to qualify both physically (in that you must prove need) as well as financially (which means you must have "less than" some dictated amount that is designated by your state, in this case Missouri.
When you say "they want me to pay a spend down of almost 300.00" do you mean IN TOTAL? because you could do that in one day at the grocery store. Or do you mean monthly as in your monthly income is too high according to income and yours monthly costs?
I would contact whomever gave you these numbers, because I cannot really understand just who wants what here. I cannot know if you correctly filled out your paperwork and if you included all monthly costs you have (utilities/ everything else).
I would look for legal aid, would try to get a social worker to help with applications and etc and explanations. Each individual case is so difficult and so dependent on your state and its rules that it would be difficult for a forum of strangers from all around the world to do much but wish you luck. Which we DO. I hope you will find someone to help you.