Anyone else “waiting” on Medicaid approval?

Update. Medicaid approval within 30 days but now have 30 days to use it or she loses it! There are no beds available at facility we want so now she’s in the Pace program where she can go to a senior center daily & medicaid pays for it. Better than nothing, get a break during the day. So just be aware that once approved, at least in Virginia, you must use for care within 30 days!

We spent down Mom's money for the Nursing Facility as long as possible, then applied for Medicaid with the help of the social worker there. She was super helpful.
And yes, if you are POA, sign all papers in general with your parent's name, and then ,"by (Your Name), POA" or 'Attorney-in-fact',
Like this, " Jane Smith by John Smith, POA."

DHHS is the government agency to contact. Go to the nearest one in person. You can hardly get through to them by phone. You will get somebody to help you. Also, it is like another person said on here. The nursing facility will also counsel you but your first stop should be DHHS. Social Security Office is only involved when it is time to either set up the rep payee account at the bank or you can let the nursing home handle that and free yourself from the bookkeeping.

Talk to an elder law attorney.

My mother was Medicaid pending when she passed away but we got denied because my brother didn't get the paperwork in by the deadline.

In Illinois everything is handled by DHS, Department of Human Services, the Medicaid office, and all long term care decisions are made by a single office, which is in Decatur. Delays are many and long. As others have said, she can only have $2000 in the bank, and she will be expected to cash in investments and life insurance with a cash value. If she does have those investments, pay her final expenses before she moves. Many times the nursing home or assisted living facility lets a person move in while the application is in process. SSA would have nothing to do with the process. Many times senior centers or area agencies on aging have counselors who can see what's going on.

Social security will return your calls if you make a mysocialsecurity.com go to the social security website then make a accountonline then in the mysocialsecurity.com there's an option to have social security call you back within 15 minutes it is in the talk to an agent asked the question spot

Some states allow you to have more than $2000 in the bank. NY is one of them. But again, the OPs mom has been approved for Medicaid.

I found getting in touch with the states agency for the elderly was the best possible thing I could have done. They evaluated my mom, then sent out a care giver to my home whom also evaluated her. She was approved right away and will be entering a program for memory care. But that is in Florida. Try to reach out to you states agency for the elderly. I did have to get a letter from the doctor stating she could no longer live alone and could not handle her finances. I also retained POA 5 years ago just in case it was needed and that was before the dementia.

Like others have said, Social Security and Medicaid are two different animals. A Medicaid attorney can help. Did you have assistance when you applied? That can be crucial to moving the application through. If they ding you, it means more time waiting. There are organization who do nothing but help submit Medicaid applications because it's so tricky -- I am currently using one -- the cost $1200.

BTW: Becoming a Rep Payee (through Social Security) isn't required for you to apply for Medicaid on your mother's behalf -- as far as I know. From my own experience, becoming a Rep Payee is a pain! It took me about three month and three times to the Social Security Office, each of these times was about a 1.25 hour wait and given the wrong information twice. Once I got a knowledgeable person at the SSA, then it moved quicker -- an additional 6 weeks until all the paperwork arrived. My advice: if you don't have to do it, don't.

The OPs mother received her Medicaid approval last week :)

SS can't help you! Social Security does not administer Medicaid. Find a local senior center or support agency to help you. In my state (MA) it's the state healthcare that administers Medicaid. Go to www.medicaid.gov to get contact info for your state (and lots more info). You say, "Their paperwork has gone to the state." If you have not filled out a Medicaid application, nothing is going to happen. Lawyers in MA charge around $8000 to complete the application for you, but there are companies that do it for $2000 or less. This worked for my mother's approval. If she doesn't have many assets, you might even do it yourself... but you need to find out what agency in your state handles it.
In my mom's case, She got into the NH under "Medicare pending" status because I got her application send to the state agency that handles Medicare (Masshealth in MA). The state assigned her application to a case worker, and that was who I could call to find out the status. It got approved in 6-8 weeks, but it was retroactive to the day that they got her application (If she had over $2000, it would be retroactive to the day that she qualified -- for example, if she had too much money, we might have to pay for her first month or so in the NH). With mom's Medicaid approval, her SS check still goes into her bank account, and I write a check to the NH each month, which takes most of that. It's well worth the effort, though: there's no way we could pay for NH on our own!

This is why many places will not accept patients “pending” Medicaid. When you submitted the application for Medicaid you should have been assigned a representative from Department of Human Services in your State. If not, I would call or better go to the office and find out what’s happening. ASAP.

It sounds like you have a facility picked out? If that's the case I would get in touch with them, it sounds like they know he is coming in as a Medicaid patient and unless it works differently in your state or because he is coming from home as long as the paperwork is all filed and he s approved by the right people to qualify for LTC medically (sounds like that's in place here) the clock has started and LTC expense incurred during this time are paid retroactively. In my mom's state anyway the facilities deal with this all the time and are used to it, they get a lump sum or payment for the time between application and approval before the regular monthly payments kick in. Now you as her POA (this is important you are signing on her behalf not personally) you will probably have to sign forms agreeing to take responsibility for the bill should Medicare not be approved but they are also very experienced in knowing who is going to qualify and who isn't. Use the facilities resources here as much as you can. It may also be a bit simpler when they are already either hospital or "rehab" patients so in the system so to speak but again if this place has a Medicaid bed waiting for her they want her in that bed so they can start getting paid and maybe she is an easier patient than the next Medicaid patient in line so they want to work with you in getting her in...as you work with them it doesn't hurt to use honey and show you family as an asset in caring for mom, you aren't just going to dump her and visit once a month, hint, hint.

The other place to contact is the office that runs and approves Medicaid in your state and or whoever did the application for her if it wasn't you. If it was you you should be listed as such and have no problem discussing her application with them. I'm not sure contacting SS helps at all anyway so I wouldn't be quick to waste that time unless Medicaid tells you they are the hold up for some reason. Yes both state offices but...

Are you her POA? Have you contacted Medicaid? An attorney who specializes in Medicaid can help you. With SS you'll need to turn in paperwork with them to have you listed as your Mom's rep. Otherwise they won't talk to you.

My mom just went through this. She waited about a month and a half for approval. She was on Medicare though first. My mom was in a rehab before going to Ltc place. It can be very frustrating and we had to resubmit some forms because we didn’t have all of the correct info for Medicaid. If we had had everything correct it should have only taken a month. I would get with the facility she’s going into and see if they have a status for her. Also my moms facility had her on Medicaid before it was approved but like I said she was also in a facility under Medicare. Is it possible for your mother to go to the facility under Medicare until the Medicaid is approved?

Upstate, New York, Herkimer County, This is the way it Goes down...I had called on a perfect Skilled Nursing Facility for Dad when Mom passed away. They told me he would be Evaluated at his home and then to Come down, Get settled in his Bed, See the Finance Department then, And go over his records, Knowing then fully well that Medicaid would either take over or There would be a Spend Down of his own Money, honey.
This way sounds ludicrous....

Walk into the department of family and children services in your area and ask for help. Don't let them delay you any longer.
I'm trying to get help for my mom and finally did this and they are actually helping.
Get a contact and their number and email. Keep calling. They are so very slow to respond.
Keep asking your contact what you can do to help.
It's frustrating to say the least and I haven't gotten mom's help yet either but I'm hounding the heck it of them.

Who filed the Medicaid. If the NH, they are responsible to call and make sure everything has been done. I applied with a caseworker. I was given a list of info needed to complete the application. I also had 90 days to accomplish it. I would personally call Medicaid and make sure you have provided them with paperwork needed. If u have, then ask when Medicaid will start paying for Moms care.

I don't know why ur calling SS. They have nothing to do with Medicaid. Medicaid will just require her SS and pension go to her care.

Have you contacted your local Medicaid office? Here it’s the department of social services....that’s where you apply & eligbility is determined. It doesn’t go through SS here.

Mine ( my fathers) didn't take long at all, a few weeks or maybe less. I did the application online, got called the next day or 2 by someone from the state, did another app at the hospital where they sent him to a nursing home, nursing home helped the process along. What state are you from? Is Mom already in a facility? If not, I think that is the key, once she is somewhere, be it the hospital or nursing home, the process moves along at a better pace.