Will my Medicaid Transfer When I Move?

I often get calls from a family member inquiring about how to transfer their loved one’s Medicaid (or MediCal) from one state to another.  The federal government, in their infinite wisdom, decided to name the federal and the state health care programs nearly identical; Medicare and Medicaid respectively.  So the first order of business is to determine exactly which program the family member is talking about.

Medicare cards are all red, white, and blue.  They are connected to Social Security and a premium must be paid each month in order to maintain the benefit.  Medicare is a nationwide program funded solely through federal taxes.  Medicaid is a state and federal partnership that often, in the case of seniors, is used in conjunction with Medicare.  Medicaid cards are as many different color combos as there are states and territories.  Each state, in order to receive federal matching funds, must agree to offer certain specific core services but then there is a menu of other items the state may offer. There is no rhyme or reason as to what each state my offer.

Another difference in Medicaid state-to-state is that the income level may be different as well as resource requirements.  They also may differ in where you may apply with some being only at the local social services office while others have kiosks set up in various public areas for your convenience.  Yet another difference is that some states offer something called a Spend Down while others do not.  A Spend Down is the amount between the client’s income and the maximum amount allowable to receive the benefit.

When you or your senior loved one may be moving here are some points to remember:

1. You may not transfer Medicaid from one state to another.
2. You must actually have made the move and declare the new state your home prior to applying for Medicaid in your new state.
3. Don’t forget to close your Medicaid case in the state you moved from AFTER you have made the move.
4. Income and Resource limits may be higher or lower in the state you move to.
5. Some states offer a Spend Down while others do not.
6. Do not expect the same program in your new state and if it is or if it is better, you will have a pleasant surprise.
7. Look for my new eBook soon to be available exclusively through Amazon.  It goes into detail about adult Medicaid issues.  The title is “Taking Care of Mom and Dad”, the same as the site here is called.
8. If you have any questions, please comment on this post and ask away!

Difference Between Medicaid and Medicare

Ever wish you had a quick way to tell the difference between Medicaid and Medicare?

Maybe the following will help.

*Medicare is a federally funded entitlement program for those 65 years-old and certain other disabled people.
* Medicare does not require your income to meet certain low-income standards.

^Medicaid is a federally funded social program that is also an entitlement.
^ Medicaid is funded by both state and federal tax dollars; there are certain income, age and status requirements that must be met in order to be eligible.

*Medicare covers the same services throughout the United States depending on your coverage (A,B, &/or D).

^Medicaid’s benefit package is determined by each state, choosing from the broad array of services designated by the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This means that what you receive in one state will not necessarily be covered in another state. The following services are mandatory in every state:
• Outpatient hospital services;
• Inpatient hospital services;
• Physician services and medical and surgical
services of a dentist;
• Nursing facility services and home health services
for those aged 21 or older;
• Family planning services and supplies;
• Rural health clinic and federally qualified health;
center (FQHC) services;
• Laboratory and x-ray services;
• Nurse practitioner services;
• Nurse-midwife services; and
• Early and periodic screening for children under age 21.

Hope this helps you when trying to understand the difference between the two. It can help you when you are trying to navigate the health care system with your mom and dad.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section, under this article and I will be happy to answer!

Alleviating Caretaking Costs

Occasionally, a caretaker will tell me that the cost of maintaining their own lives and subsidizing a parent(s) has become too much. When I ask if they have looked into social programs for the senior, I am often told there is no way the parent would consider “welfare”. This generally leads to a conversation about “those entitlement programs” of which the taxpayer is always weary. If you find yourself in this situation, consider this:
An entitlement is a Federal program that guarantees a certain level of benefit to persons or other entities who meet certain requirements set by law. Examples of current entitlement programs are – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, most VA programs, Federal employee and Military retirement plans, active-duty medical insurance programs, most Native-American programs, unemployment compensation, and Agricultural Price Support programs such as SNAP, free/reduced lunches and commodities.
There are those who would argue that an entitlement program is not something you work for, it is something given to you by the taxpayer when you do not work. They would be wrong. If you carefully read the definition, you will see that nearly all programs require some kind of participation through work or finances. For instance Food Stamps or as it is now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) requires that if you do not have small children at home or are disabled, to receive the benefit you must work. The abstract of the act states that it was set in place in 1964 to strengthen the agricultural economy; to help to achieve a fuller and more effective use of food abundances; to provide for improved levels of nutrition among low-income households through a cooperative state-federal program of food assistance to be operated through normal channels of trade; and for other purposes.
Who does the SNAP program help? First, agriculture: the farmer. Second, food abundances: buying the too-large quantities of food the farmer grows. Third, low-income households: poor people. Fourth, normal channels of trade: grocery stores. There are large chain grocery stores throughout the US where 98% or more of their business is solely through SNAP.
So you see, unless you live off the grid, entitlement programs touch every American Citizen within its borders or military living abroad either by receiving benefits or taking in dollars. And most of us pay taxes so it is all interconnected. The only thing that an entitlement is not, in my opinion, is a right. While you have to right to apply for any program, you do not have a right to receive the benefits from the program; the benefits of the program are a privilege of living in a civilized society.
If your loved one has no shame in receiving Social Security or Medicare each month, they should feel no shame in applying for one of the other entitlement programs available to them. Other blog entries will detail what programs are available, how to apply, and what to expect.