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Medicaid is one of the most important programs that seniors and disabled individuals may wish to take advantage of. Medicaid is, for most people, the only insurer which provides payment for nursing home bills for routine daily care.

While Medicare covers health services for seniors and pays for skilled nursing home services on a temporary basis under certain circumstances, neither Medicare nor private insurers pay for the daily care in nursing facilities which many people need when they become aged or become incapacitated. Medicaid or private pay are usually the only two options for nursing home bills, and private pay could mean you spend your full life savings in a brief time due to the exorbitant costs of nursing home care.

Medicaid does more than just pay for nursing homes for seniors; it can also pay for Medicare insurance premiums, cover some of the Medicare co-insurance costs for services, and pay for services that Medicare does not cover. The issue is, Medicaid is needs-based and there is a resource test as well as an income limit. Too many resources means you don’t qualify for Medicaid coverage. Seniors need to understand Medicaid resource limits, learn about eligibility requirements, and learn about how Medicaid can help them.

Eghrari Law Firm provides comprehensive information about Medicaid to seniors. We also provide assistance in understanding how to make a plan to qualify for Medicaid while still protecting assets. Give us a call at (631) 265-0599 or contact us online to find out about the assistance we can offer with Medicaid issues. You can also use the Medicaid resources we have prepared below to help you understand more about Medicaid and about how you can get the benefits through Medicaid that you need.

New York Medicaid Resources

If you want to learn about Medicaid, and about the Medicaid program in New York, these resources can help:

  • Medicaid State Resources: This website was created by the federal government to provide state specific information and to explain how the federal/state Medicaid partnership works to deliver care.
  • The New York State Department of Health: This website was created by the state of New York to provide a centralized location where answers on Medicaid are available. There are links which provide information on what Medicaid is, how you know if you can qualify, how you can apply, what happens if you have an immediate need, and how Medicaid works with other health insurance you may have coverage with.

If you want to learn about Medicaid eligibility within the state of New York, you can use these resources:

  • The federal Medicaid eligibility page: Although states can set their own eligibility rules within Medicaid’s federal eligibility guidelines, the federal government still provides helpful information about qualifying for coverage. This resources provides details on how applicants seeking Medicaid benefits can assess whether they can meet eligibility rules related to their finances.
  • The New York State Department of Health FAQ Page: This page has information on resource and income limits and other eligibility requirements for Medicaid coverage, as well as details on where and how people can apply for benefits. Those 65 and over, for example, will need to apply at their local Department of Social Services (LDSS).
  • The New York State Department of Health Heath Plan Marketplace: This website provides the opportunity to compare health plans, determine eligibility for Medicaid, and find out about financial assistance which may be available to help cover the costs of various types of health insurance.

If you want to find out more about what Medicaid covers and get help using your benefits, these resources are beneficial:

  • The Local Departments of Social Services list (LDSS) list: The New York Department of Health has prepared a comprehensive list of Local Departments of Services where seniors can go in order to get help applying for Medicaid and learning about social services available to them.  For many seniors, applying at their LDSS is the best or only option to get Medicaid coverage.
  • The HHS Page on where to find a doctor who accepts Medicaid: Not all doctors are willing to accept Medicaid patients, in large part because reimbursement rates are generally low for Medicaid patients. For those who have Medicaid coverage and are frustrated with the process of finding a care provider who will accept their coverage, this federal resource prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services can be very helpful.
  • The New York Medicaid Copayment Policy: This resource provides information on policies for collecting copays for Medicaid patients who are receiving medical services and provides information on the amount of copays. Copays may have to be paid by patients receiving certain types of medical care, but there are policies regarding waiver of copays as well so seniors who may be dependent upon Medicaid coverage and who don’t have enough money for copays will not end up being deprived of the essential medical services that they require.

If you want to find a nursing home which Medicaid covers and which will provide you with a high level of care, this resource is useful:

  • Nursing Home Compare: This resource provides a large searchable database of nursing homes and residential care facilities throughout the United States. You can find homes which accept Medicaid and Medicare payments and learn about their ratings and the reputation the facility has for providing acceptable care to residents.

While using these resources can help you to learn a lot about Medicaid, there is no substitute for personalized legal assistance.

Getting Legal Help from a Long Island Estate Planning Attorney

Medicaid planning involves making sure you can qualify for Medicaid if necessary for nursing home care and other skilled medical services. Eghrari Law Firm offers you the guidance you need to protect your nest egg while still getting benefits. Making plans early is of paramount importance in qualifying for Medicaid when care is required, so give us a call at (631) 265-0599 or contact us online today to get the process started.