Question
Please help - my 82 year old mother lives alone & I am very concerned about her & would like for her to move in with me & my husband as we have plenty of room. Right now I am only able to go check on her on Saturdays as I work full time & have to take off to take her to the doctor & for any household emergencies. She currently is on medicaid (I think it is is medicaid, I apologize but am not sure, what ever is federal. She is not on the state plan. We both live in Texas.) She also has supplemental GEHA (Goverment Employees Health plan, from my deceased fathers retirement plan) A nurse/practitioner comes & checks on her monthly, sometimes weekly if she is having comlications, which is provided by her medicaid coverage. My husband & I both work & earn about 85K a year, combined. Will our income affect her medicaid coverage? Will she lose her medicaid if she moves in with us? She draws SS & started drawing it early under a disability at about age 55 - 57 or so. She is now 82. Any information is greatly, greatly appreciated. Thank you very much & happy Thanksgiving!
Answer
Hi Mary.
This is way too complicated to be done by e-mail. I would need too much personal information, Normally I would spend about an hour and a half in a counseling session. Therefore I am referring you to my counterpart in Texas. Call 1-800-252-9240 and you will reach the nearest office of the SHIP program. These are Medicare trained counselors and will meet with you and your Mother and explain your options and answer your questions. Her income and assets determines eligibility for her benefits.
Have the insurance information and a list of her prescriptions, with dosage and how often taken, ready for the SHIP counselor. It will save time. Have them do a benefits check up; Check with Social Security to see if she is eligible for EXTRA HELP with prescriptions; check eligibility for a Medicare Savings program like QMB. They will also go on Medicare.gov and do a pathfinder program to find you best options for coverage.
Also check with the local Area Agency on Aging and see if she qualifies for the Medicare Waiver program.
Hope this helps.
John
