Medicaid Waiver Programs
Medicaid Waiver Programs
In addition to the Medicaid Institutional Care Program (Nursing Homes), there are a variety of Medicaid Waiver programs that may be available to assist you. Medicaid Waiver programs are programs that have been traditionally designed to expand the number of persons supported while reducing the cost of the individual’s services to Medicaid.
One program is the Nursing Home Diversion Medicaid Waiver Program. This program provides individuals who are 65, or older with home health care or assisted living services. To qualify individuals must also have Medicare parts A and B (or the Medicare HMO), meet the Medicaid income and asset tests, and be at risk for nursing home placement (i.e. cannot perform a number of activities of daily living like dressing, bathing, eating, and/or have certain chronic illnesses or dementia). This program is known by a variety of names (Evercare and American Eldercare being the most common). These programs combine Medicaid and Medicare dollars to provide home health care. Each applicant is allotted $2200 per month for services from a private health care company. This program is being viewed as the wave of the future. However, to stay at home, the applicant must be cared for and safe at all times. Thus, if the applicant is in need of 24 hour/7day a week care, they must move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Application is made first through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs CARES program with the financial qualification being done through the Department of Children and Families.
In addition to the Medicaid Institutional Care Program (Nursing Homes), there are a variety of Medicaid Waiver programs that may be available to assist you. Medicaid Waiver programs are programs that have been traditionally designed to expand the number of persons supported while reducing the cost of the individual’s services to Medicaid.
One program is the Nursing Home Diversion Medicaid Waiver Program. This program provides individuals who are 65, or older with home health care or assisted living services. To qualify individuals must also have Medicare parts A and B (or the Medicare HMO), meet the Medicaid income and asset tests, and be at risk for nursing home placement (i.e. cannot perform a number of activities of daily living like dressing, bathing, eating, and/or have certain chronic illnesses or dementia). This program is known by a variety of names (Evercare and American Eldercare being the most common). These programs combine Medicaid and Medicare dollars to provide home health care. Each applicant is allotted $2200 per month for services from a private health care company. This program is being viewed as the wave of the future. However, to stay at home, the applicant must be cared for and safe at all times. Thus, if the applicant is in need of 24 hour/7day a week care, they must move to an assisted living facility or nursing home. Application is made first through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs CARES program with the financial qualification being done through the Department of Children and Families.
If you are a concerned relative or friend of an elderly person and need help with Estate Planning, Elder Law, or Medicaid and are in the Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, Fernandina Beach or in the areas around Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, and Clay counties, we'd like to hear from you.
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Contact us online or call us at 904-355-8888 also to learn more about Elder Law and receive our Free North Florida Nursing Home Guide.