When it comes to planning for your aging mother’s medical needs, you may feel hopeless. While her health is fair now, you know that it could change at any moment, and you do not feel ready for it.
Before your mother is too frail to care for herself, you should look into the options available for her continued care. Medicaid has to potential to help. However, there is a lot of misinformation about the program. Take a peek at three common Medicaid myths perpetuated today.
1. Medicaid is a uniform program
You may believe that the federal government runs Medicaid, and therefore what you hear from friends in another state about it is how it works in Colorado. Medicaid is actually a state-run program. This means that each state has the ability to implement its own requirements and rules for how to qualify for money and how to use it.
2. Medicaid is the same as Medicare
It is easy to confuse Medicare and Medicaid because they both sound a lot alike. The two programs differ in a few ways. First, Medicare is a federally run program, so it does have nationwide rules and regulations. Second, Medicare is a health care program for adults 65 and over; however, it does not provide money for long-term care. That is where Medicaid comes in. You can have both Medicaid and Medicare at the same time.
3. Medicaid takes assets like homes
Medicaid does have plans in place to help pay for the cost of elder care, but this does not always mean seizing an elderly person’s home or assets. In fact, Medicaid helps keep the aging in their home by allowing money for in-home and assisted care. It also will not take a home or any other asset so long as the next of kin resides in it or is using it.
Many more misconceptions exist about what Medicaid is and is not. That is why it is important that you seek help from a lawyer so you do not go into the process without the proper advisement.