Elder Law Answers
Will Medicaid Count My Gifts for My Parents as Income?
I own the home my parents live in and I gift to them a combined $26,000 each year. These funds are used to pay their healt...
Read moreWill Medicaid Cover Our Mother for Home Care?
- May 15th, 2024
Q
We have been waiting for an answer from Medicaid about home care for our mother. We have sent in every type of documentation they have asked for, but each time we do, they come up with more that they need and wait days before telling us. We call constantly and they ignore us. This has been going on for three months.
Today, we tried to get ahold of a supervisor and they hung up on us. Our mom cannot be alone, so we have depleted her savings to pay someone to be with her. The cost is unsustainable. How can we get a decision on whether Medicaid will cover the cost of her care?
A
Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to this problem. Many employees of Medicaid agencies, or the agencies themselves, misunderstand their roles. Rather than seeing themselves as providers to help make sure that people get the health care they need, they see themselves as gatekeepers making absolutely sure that everyone who applies qualifies for benefits.
We can only recommend that you continue to follow up as you have. You can also try contacting your local legislators. They often have more influence with the bureaucracy than do mere taxpayers.