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My grandma's doctor has told us that she needs to be in one because of her dementia and other health issues. We found one that has open beds and accepts retroactive Medicaid, but I'm wondering what the process is like and how long it might take?

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Wow! That you have a NH with an actual open Medicaid bed and allows Grannie to enter as “Medicaid Pending” and grannie can go into the NH directly from living at home, is like winning the Trifecta at the Track. This is way unusual nowadays as most places will want an admission coming from a hospitalization (MediCARE pays) discharge to a NH for “rehab” (again MediCARE pays as she’s enters as a rehab patient) as that hospitalization clearly shows she is “at need” for skilled nursing care in a facility and then it is determined that gran cannot return home so she stays at the NH going from MediCARE patient to a MedicAID resident. Medicaid is an “at need” program both medical and financial for eligibility.

For LTC Medicaid application, ask admissions for the list of financial and personal documents that grannie will need to submit with that LTC Medicaid application to show she is “at need” financially. Someone, usually the POA, is the one to gather these, Xerox all and give to the NH (if the NH is the one who submits the application on Grans behalf, this is the way my moms was done) or the POA submits all to the caseworker for grannies NH or zip code (more like what JoAnn said). The list will have like 2 yrs to 5 years of bank statements needed, any title or deed to property, all health insurance policy info, valid ID, income info, citizenship info. The NH should have a sheet of paper with the document list for Medicaid. By & large LTC Medicaid requires a widow or widower to have no more than $ 2,000 in non exempt assets total and have monthly income under $2,100-$2,300 per mo. If gran has say $13,599 in savings, she’s going to need to spend down $ 11,599 for most states LTC Medicaid eligibility. Usually it’s private paying for a mo or two at the NH but whatever the case it has to be only for her needs or her care. No gifting to family.

Someone needs to be monitoring Grans mail as Oct & Nov is when any retirements and Social Security are sending out the “awards letters” for 2022. These state to the penny what income per month Gran will be paid for 2022. That $ will be required by Medicaid to become a copay to the NH except for a small personal needs allowance (PNA $35-$110 depends on your state) that gran can keep. The copay is required to be paid starting day 1 of filing for it - not when it’s actually approved but filed. A sticky in all this is that NH in some states have to wait till Medicaid is approved before they can ask the new LTC resident to pay several months income copay, but it will be owed. So none of Grans mo income can be spent as its eventually going to have to go to the NH. The PNA realistically is enough to cover weekly or bimonthly beauty salon visits at the NH.

If all the documents required are submitted and both the financial & the medical “at need” is all ok, it’s usually 3-5 months to get LTC Medicaid approved.

If grannie still has a home or a car (usually exempt assets for her lifetime) or has someone living in her home, or she has outstanding debts or a mortgage or car note, can you do an additional post as that gets sticky for how to deal with if Medicaid applied for.
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I would call the facility and ask what needs to happen to move her in.

This usually includes a negative TB test, doctors orders (needs assessment), with prescriptions and medical transport, if needed many will provide the transportation.

We are talking about a day or two max.

If they do Medicaid pending, you don't have to wait for approval.

You are going to have to or encourage the next of kin (POA) to be a communication guru if you want this placement to succeed. Ask questions, share information, if you see something, say something, if you wonder about something, ask. NOBODY has a crystal ball and communication is imperative to help everyone involved.
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Good answers here. It really depends what state you live and they all administer slightly differently. Most will take a 5 year look over the shoulder so be prepared to have 5 years worth of mortgag/rent receipts/ real estate tax receipts, bank statements, utility bills. Also birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce papers, naturalizaltion papers.
Depending on the staff of the medicaid office and the speed and accuracy of the paperwork you present it could take 2 mos or 6.
If you have the doctor's orders and a medicaid retro bed available and you like the facility.... I would make the placement as soon as possible.
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If the bed is available and the Dr has issued the order I would think she can be placed now. Call the NH you are interested in and ask when she can move in.

Allow the Social Worker to help you with the Medicaid paperwork but do not rely on her/him. Know who Moms caseworker is. In my State you have 90days to spend down assets, get the caseworker paperwork needed and place the recipient. If not done in that time frame, then u start over.

I made an appt with Moms caseworker. TG Mom saved her bank statements so I had the five years needed and out of them the caseworker chose 4 a year. I used Moms remaining 20k to pay two months to the NH, May and June. By June I had met all the criteria and July Medicaid started paying. But it will depend on you how fast the info needed gets to the caseworker. For this reason, I would not count on someone else. I did everything via email.
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