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Her SS check is 1263.00 and I think the maximum income for Medicaid recipients in MS is 1047.00? So she doesn't qualify? What the heck? But if I stick her in a nursing home, she qualifies for it. At least that's what happened after her stroke when she was discharged to the rehab/nursing home for 9 weeks. Does anyone know if the Medicaid spend down applies to the SS check too? I spent the last 14 hours on and off the computer looking for programs and agencies to give us some relief. Please advise. Seems like a joke that she works her entire life and makes 150.00 too much to qualify for benefits that she has paid her entire life to. So unfair.

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Watch for other posters - I'm no expert but I understand a Miller Trust could help here.  Ridiculous for $153??? Bet Mississippi spends $500 to "save" $153. Sounds like the spitefulness of legislators who are well paid and just wanted to demonstrate against Obamacare, no matter what it did to their citizens.
the advice from posters below is good - there is a difference between Medicaid health insurance  and NH Medicaid, which is what I immediately thought of.  Frankly I'd consider moving out of that state.
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DrewBreez09, I’m in Louisiana & got to tell you whatever my state does to be restrictive or repressive for those lower income or at need it’s nothing but nothing as compared to MS.

Did you speak with anyone at the Area Agency on Aging in Jackson?
601/981-1516. AoA provides info on MS FFM. So..... as MS did NOT take Medicaid expansion (aka ACA/Obamacare), normal way to find out options on low income Medicaid doesn’t really exist for MS like most states. MS has community navigators under FFM program. Federally facilitated marketplace = FFM, although you will want to use lots more colorful words for those acronyms. Trump administration cut FFM by half & narrowed the enrollment period by 2 weeks. Open enrollment closed in Dec. But AoA should be able to tell you how you might be able to come in under change of status category to get FFM Medicaid.
The AoA are very underfunded, so be patient.

But I see possible other issues, it sounds like 4 in your household (HH): elderly parent, your sister, yourself AND your 20something son.
MS has a work requirement & it’s tied into eligibility for all resource based programs. Your mom as elderly & disabled will have a waiver. But you & Sissy may not, so your expected to be working and bringing in income to HH. The overall HH Income is used to determine eligibility for community based programs in MS but you are not allowed to be not working unless there is a waiver. Sissy would have to clearly establish disabled under state standards. There is a caregiver waiver but you’d have to clearly establish that this is what you are to get that waiver. Sissy & you can’t both be this. Your son is expected to work. That he has drug issues, multiple failed rehab stays & cannot maintain a job or can’t be employed at most jobs due to his past is of no importance. If he lives at the house, he’s factored in. He's supposed to be working. MS has reduced SNAP by over 1/3 due to work requirements and I’m sure the goal is to go even higher.

As an aside MS very rural state and no mass transit, so good luck finding a well paying job you can walk or catch a bus to unless your in some parts of Jackson, Ridgeland, Flowood or are youngish & up in Oxford or Starkvegas. It’s bleak.

Work requirement is pretty big problem as lots of Grans carrying for grandkids as parents are MIA. If grans are over 65 & kids under 18, they are ok for income & household size as kids don’t work. But if errant parent comes back, or reports that as their address for anything that state database links into, they all get kicked out of or decreased benefit from income based programs as HH now has errant parent who isn’t meeting work requirements.

Could you be ok with having mom move into MS LTC in a facility? then you All move back to FL?
Or that all of you possibly move to FL? I’m not being cute, I’m saying this in all seriousness. FL has real safety nets for elderly and disabled. There are a wider variety of jobs. Yes still will have eligibility requirements and paperwork but there are services. If your boy (& I know you love him deeply as you wouldn’t have done all you’ve done so far if you didn’t) should find himself going to Parchman, it will be beyond horrific both for him & you.
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NeedHelpWithMom Feb 2020
Hi neighbor!
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My dad made 14.00 monthly to much.
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NeedHelpWithMom Feb 2020
Isn’t that sad? The regulations must be very strict. Are there cases where such a small amount like $14 are waived or is that not possible?
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The income limit for medicaid in the OPs state is $1,091. So his mother is in fact ineligible for Medicaid because her SS is $1263. He’s trying to get her health insurance and questioning why she would be eligible for LTC Medicaid but not health insurance.
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mstrbill Feb 2020
I'm confused. Wouldn't Mom already have health insurance? (Medicare).
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Are 3 kinds of Medicaid. Medicaid for heath insurance, Medicaid for home care and Medicaid for LTC. If looking into LTC, then I would go with Barb. Its $2205.

No spend down does not include the SS check on any pensions. Those will go towards her care. Medicaid picking up their share. In my state the spend down cap is 2k. All Moms assets will need to be used for her care. That means any stocks, bonds, IRAs...insurance policies with cash in value. You can prepay her funeral. All money has to be spent for her.

You really need to sit down with a Medicaid caseworker. The 1047.00 just doesn't seem right to me. Take the info you received here as a basis for asking questions. I like to sit down in front of a person when needing to ask questions. I received a lot of good info from this site but always called Moms caseworker to confirm it.
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The rules are different, it depends if you are talking about long term care Medicaid (nursing home) or Medicaid health insurance. You can’t use a miller trust for Medicaid health insurance. But can use it for LTC Medicaid. Some states also have a medically needy pathway for Medicaid health insurance where you can spend down your excess income on your health care & qualify for Medicaid.
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What type of Medicaid help are you looking for? If she's medically needy, she will qualify for NH Medicaid. But it sounds like she's not in need of a NH or you don't want to place her there? I'm a little confused. There are 2 types of Medicaid, Long term care Medicaid and general community Medicaid. Which type are you looking for her to get?
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Look into creating a miller trust. The beneficiary of the trust is Medicaid...but, she can put the amount over the limit into the trust and thereby qualify
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$1047 sounds more like a disability check amount, rather than a Medicaid income amount. Here in Florida, it is now $3K per month. I would call your state Medicaid office and ask them.
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I’m no stranger to being over the income limit for just about every kind of aid I’ve ever applied for. I’ve often said that a person needs to be living under a highway overpass in a cardboard box to qualify for any government aid. Am I angry and bitter? Absolutely.

Don't guess what to do. Call your local Medicaid office. Here in Cleveland, Ohio, our office is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. You will need to provide tons of financial paperwork to them. Make copies before you turn the paperwork over because they’ll probably want MORE copies. It’s not easy and it’s frustrating, but they can advise you. Also, if you don’t already have Power of Attorney for her, get it now. This will give you the authority to be able to make financial and health decisions for her.
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https://www.seniorplanning.org/long-term-care-medicaid-eligibility/mississippi/

It looks to me like the income cap is $2205. per month.

Have you spoken to the Social Worker at the Nursing Home? They are usually pretty expert in this area.
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I wish that I could help. It is according to so many variables. Can you contact her social worker and see if they can give you detailed information for your area? Call the nursing home where she did rehab, ask to speak to the social worker. You can even call her primary doctor and ask for a social worker’s phone number. That’s what I would do. Other posters will chime in to help.

My mom did rehab but it was paid for with Medicare, not Medicaid.

Best wishes to you.
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