Home Care Benefits from Medicaid and Medicare

Many people have heard of Medicaid, but they're unsure exactly what it's for or even what it does. Started in 1965, Medicaid is currently the largest government-run healthcare system in the United States. Medicaid was set up by the government to ensure that low-income individuals or families whichever you may fall under, have healthcare coverage to assist with hospital stays, custodial care costs, long-term medical, and doctor's visits. Medicare is primarily funded by the federal government but it is governed at the state level. This is why each state has varying levels of care/options that are available to the individuals that are in need of care. It also gives them a way of overseeing the way that they determine who is eligible for Medicaid. Let's take a look at a few of the different services that individuals on Medicaid are eligible for.

Medicaid Payments for Services Provided by Family Members 

There are a lot of people out there that want to use a family member to do their caregiving. There are programs set up to pay members of your family for providing care to their loved ones. There are a few caveats however. In all but 12 States, they will not pay for spouses or legal guardians to perform the care. However, ex-spouses and grown children can be compensated. This has led to a rash of what are known as “Medicaid divorces”. 

In order for your loved one to be compensated, they must first apply for Medicaid. Once they've been approved, they will need to sign up for a specific program that allows them to select their care providers. Once this happens, they will be able to hire their own caregiver as long as they follow the guidelines set up by the state. They can hire whichever family member they wish. The family member will submit timesheets directly to and get paid from Medicaid or whichever responsible party that is set upto pay for their service. This can vary from state to state. 

The Medicaid process can vary extremely from state to state, but there is one good thing. There is at least one program that is set up to provide services to individuals that need home care in all 50 states and in Washington DC. It is set up like this to provide care for individuals outside of nursing homes whether that is in an assisted living facility, adult day care, or at home. The processes typically offer these plans through a standardized state plan or with a Medicaid waiver. 

In Conclusion

If you had questions about Medicaid and home care, hopefully this article has helped answer some of them for you. It can be hard sometimes to understand everything that is needed for yourself or your loved one. In many instances, Medicaid can help. If you have other questions that this article has not answered, please contact Medicaid services or visit the medicaid.gov website and they should be able to answer any other questions you might have. Don't let you or your loved one suffer any longer when there is help out there. Live your best life and make sure that they do too.