Hi,
I'm looking for information on how (an acquaintance) can afford assisted living/small facility residential care in Utah on her SSDI and Medicare. Utah will pay for part of residential living only for people who qualify for Medicaid. But this acquaintance receives SSDI which makes her eligible for Medicare, which pays for nothing, from what I can tell. I contacted utah.gov and they seem to indicate that help is available for those eligible for Medicaid only. She makes too much, but gets FAR less than what would be required at a residential care facility. SSDI averages 1200 dollars a month, approximately. Too much for Medicaid, not enough for assisted living. She cannot live by herself. She currently lives with a relative who is very ill and may not be able to care for her much longer. Utah does not have official adult foster care, but they have small limited capacity assisted living facilities. They are all priced far more than her income provides, and she is ineligible for the waivers available in Utah. What can she do? She cannot look this information up for herself. Are there residences capped at SSDI income levels? How can I find out? I have already contacted an independent living center in Salt Lake City and got no help. I've contacted utah.gov and was only told about Medicaid waivers. Where can I find this information for people who make too much for Medicaid, but too little for assisted living facilities?
"The expansion extends Medicaid eligibility to Utah adults whose annual income is up to 138% of the federal poverty level ($17,608 for an individual or $36,156 for a family of four). The federal government covers 90% of the costs for these services, with the state covering the remaining 10%.
https://medicaid.utah.gov › expansion
In my opinion, ur friend fits the criteria for help.
Medicaid has many different programs with different criteria. Medicaid for health insurance, for "in home care" and for care in a NH. Few states pay for Assisted Living. NJ only if u have private paid for at least 2 yrs.
My suggestion would be to contact your Office of Aging. They maybe able to help your friend with resources and explain Medicaid.
Also, google Miller Trust for Utah and see if you can set that up. It handles the excess income that stops her from qualifying for Medicaid.
Medicare is only health insurance.