Free in-home care for seniors using Floridas Medicaid Waiver program

Atty. Tom Olsen: Tell us about the free in-home care for seniors.

Atty. Robert Hidock: Okay, so what happens is the federal government gives the state of Florida a lot of money for Medicaid for skilled nursing. Florida says to the federal government, can we use that money for something else? That's what's creating a waiver. Sure, they created it for Medicaid's long-term care waiver, because the state knows it's cheaper, and they can stretch their dollar. It's cheaper to pay for home health care than $10,000 a month at a skilled nursing facility. That is what started the waiver, but there are big differences. It's still under the institutional care program, same as skilled nursing, same income limit, same asset limit. We know with skilled nursing, you can be Medicaid pending and getting benefits.

With the waiver program, I'll stress this. You cannot be on fire and get home health care. You have to know this is coming, because there's a bit of a wait for it. You have to call for an interview. Right now, if you live in central Florida, you're not getting interviewed until May, late May. There's that much of a lag. Then it's a need base, so then you have to score 45 points on an interview, which equates to a five. If anyone there that comes to us, our Medicaid specialist, Lindsay, she used to work for this group. She knows the questions, and she can help guide you in that area.

Then once you score the five, it's like a fast pass at Disney. You go to the front of the list. Then you have to wait for the government to fund the program, which is about a month. Then they will call you off of the wait list, and that is like, come on down on The Price Is Right, so to speak. Once they call you off the list, you can apply for Medicaid. At that point in time, you need to become Medicaid compliant.

Then unlike skilled nursing with the waiver program, once that application goes in, you're not getting any help. The application has to be approved, and once it's approved, you'll start getting the benefits of it, which can be up to 30 hours a week of home health care, giving medicine, bathing, light cooking, light cleaning, taking you places. They will assist with all of your activities of daily living.

The program, Tom, will even put bars in your bathroom if you don't already have it set up, if there's an elderly person that needs to get up. You can have that program forever, as long as you don't exceed that level of care. The good part about that, Tom, is you can be home where you're comfortable. You don't have to pay a facility. You just have to spend your income every month. That's the gist of it.

You can also take that waiver to an assisted living facility, but this is where a lot of people get confused. Medicaid won't pay the room and board at assisted living. It'll only pay the medical portion, which equates to about $1,500. You still have to have a pretty good income source to pay the difference. You can be either at a discounted rate, so to speak.

Then finally, it's all about level of care. I know I can protect any asset. I never worry about that. I can't predict level of care. If you're approved for Medicaid on the waiver and your level of care rises and you need to go to a skilled nursing facility, it's just a transfer over. You don't have to reapply for Medicaid. You don't have to do anything.

Atty. Olsen: All right, Robert. There's a lot to unwrap, but let's get back to the basics, and that is through this Medicaid waiver program. They will supply you with up to 30 hours of week for help in your car, but even as important, if you're living in assisted living, they'll send somebody there to help you in assisted living.

Atty. Hidock: They won't send an independent living. They'll send somebody. If you're in assisted, they're giving you a $1,500 discount.

Atty. Olsen: Okay, independent living is the right word.

Atty. Hidock: Yes.

Atty. Olsen: What's also important about that is that process to get this takes time. There might be some people out there listening and going, hey, I don't need that. Hey, maybe six months, maybe a year, I might need that. Right now, I don't need that. The point is that you could start this process right now. You don't have to qualify for Medicaid or anything. You're just filing the application, and you're in the queue, you might say.

Atty. Hidock: Here's the best part. Once you get called off of the list, you have six months to make that application in. You might maybe don't need it when you get called off, but maybe three months into that program, you do.

Atty. Olsen: That's a great program, Robert. It is free in-home care for seniors, and it's never too early to start the process. It's really quite simple in a sense that you don't-- Would you have to disclose any of your assets even to make that application?

Atty. Hidock: They will ask, but it has no impact on the score that you receive.

Atty. Olsen: I got you. Again, folks, we have a free booklet on that very topic, How to Get Free In-Home Care For Seniors. If you contact the Olsen Law Group in Orlando by phone or by email or through our website, olsenlawgroup.com, we'll get that free booklet in the mail to you. It's good reading at home. Then, Robert, of course, you cover this very same topic at the workshops that you do. I think your next workshop--[sound cut]