Using a Medicaid Waiver to get in home care in Florida

Attorney Tom Olsen: Robert, there's another tool out there that a lot of people are not aware of and it's called a Medicaid Waiver. You remember that folks is that what you're saying is that you may qualify for a nursing home and have Medicaid pay for it, but you the client, you're going to waive the right to go to a nursing home and instead, have Medicaid send somebody to your home to help you for a certain number of hours per day and per week.

Attorney Robert Hidock: Correct. It all falls under the Institutional Care Program of Medicaid. When they apply for that, they'll have an interview. From the interview, they'll be assigned a ratings number of one to five. If they score a five, they're going to get placed very quickly and have home health care. Now it won't be 24 hours a day home health care. It might be 30 hours a week or 40 hours a week, but they will receive care and they can stay in their home. When that happens, at that point, they have to become Medicaid compliant, just as if they're applying for a nursing home.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Anybody out there as a general would say, "Tom, I'd like to stay in my home as long as I can." Well here's a way for you to stay in your home and have Medicaid pay up to 30 hours a week for somebody to come in and assist you.