Medicaid will not allow me to keep enough money to pay my medical bills after insurance. Why?

You may try checking with the Indiana Senior Medicare Patrol, or SMP, they are responsible for investigating and assisting medicare and medicaid beneficiaries with any issues, concerns and even fraud. Here are the website for Indiana's long-term care information and program including medicare and medicaid:
http://www.iaaaa.org/smp.asp

Elvena, if you are on Medicaid you're also receiving many other welfare benefits, and if you have a medical condition requiring the multiple tooth extraction then that bill will be paid by welfare too. If you can afford wifi and a computer, or smartphone with 4G, or have ability to go public library and access this website by internet searching, why don't you also take the time to search for Medicaid help, your local Legal Aid offices, charity dental clinic, send nice appeals to dentists near you to ask for help, etc. You're welcome to ask for ideas and support from others here, but its not going to get as specific as you might need. I wish you the best in advocating for your needs, and finding others who live near you who can help.

NEW QUESTION: HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ALL BUT $200 A MONTH TAKEN BY THE STATE TO PAY YOUR MEDICAL BILLS? THAT IS WHAT I AM FACING IN GEORGIA! I AM 85, LIVE ALONE IN MY OWN MOBILE HOME, BUT I AM STILL PAYING $75.00 A MONTH ON 2009 MEDICAL BILLS, AND NOW I HAVE A BATCH OF NEW ONES AS WELL. MY BUDGET HAD A DEFICIT OF $430.00 OR MORE IF THEY HAD ALLOWED ME TO KEEP $695.00 OF MY SOCIAL SECURITY, BUT THEY ARE DEMANDING $930.00 OR SO, LEAVING ME NOT MUCH OVER $200.00 FOR SPACE RENT, PROPERTY INSURANCE, FOOD, UTILITIES, AND NUTRACEUTICALS. ETC. I AM TRYING TO SELL, BUT I WILL NEED TO PAY MANY OTHER MEDICAL AND DENTAL BILLS, AND HAVE 6 TEETH PULLED FOR $1,600.00 BEFORE MY TEETH KILL ME. THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT EVERYONE (BUT THEM) CAN LIVE ON $200.00 A MONTH!

Your husband's medical bills should all be paid by Medicare or Medicaid. However, your own medical bills must be paid by you out of your own income or assets. You are allowed to keep 100% of your own income, and if your income is below the federal minimum of $1,966, you can petition the state to obtain a portion of your husband's income. Indeed, if you have greater need than even this, you can petition the state to receive ALL of his income, up to a maximum necessary to bring your combined total to $2,981.

It makes a difference if these are your medical bills or your husband's. His should be completely covered by medicaid. If these are your bills, can you apply for an increase in your community spouse allowance? Can you get someone to advocate on your behalf? Call your local area agency on aging?

{Q}HOW can they stop you from paying what is legally yours to pay?{EQ}
They are saying THEY, Medicaid, won't pay the bills.

The bills must be paid by You personally from your own funds.

consult with an elder care attorney about your personal liabilities.
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You need to consult an accountant who understands healthcare law. Make certain that you enquire with a CPA who specializes in these issues.

I'm having a problem following your question "why can't I pay my medical bills". Is it that you don't have the money to pay the medical bills or are you saying they are refusing your payment? It sounds like you are also having problems understanding what your attorney has said to you. Perhaps you need someone that can help you to better understand what's going on.

Tharen, I was just reading the Medicaid.gov website. You ARE allowed to keep back monies to pay for medical expenses, at least according to what I read. Have you talked to your lawyer about this again? Merry Christmas!

Tharen - are you getting either CSRA = Community Spouse Resource Allowance or MMNA = Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance? This would come from hubby's monthly income $ that instead of being paid to the NH as part of his required co-pay or his "SOC" (share of cost in Medicaid-speak) is instead diverted to you to enable you to live in the community.

You need to read the Medicaid's Spousal Impoverishment provisions set up in 1988 by Congress.

I'm sorry, the links above are to a legal answer group (elderlawanswers), which is different than the non-profit Indiana law group. Here's the non-profit's website:

http://www.indianalegalservices.org/search-site/medicaid

Here is a non-profit law group that works in Indiana. You might pose your question to them under their elderlawanswers section. I don't know enough about it to offer any advice, but something sounds like it's not working correctly. Did your lawyer set up a family trust or something? What exactly did he do for you?

Thank you for the answers but I have tried everything and everyone I can think of to get this straightened out. No one seems to be able to understand it or explain it to me. I guess I am just going to be left with no choice except to go to court and see if the judge can straighten everything out.

Tharen, let me understand, these are your husband's medical bills? I do not believe that it is possible to be on medicaid just for nursing home costs?

Are you seeing providers that accept Medicaid as payment in full? I'm answering your question in part to keep it bumped up to the top of the posts so that someone with more expertise in this area can chime in. Also, do you have any adult children who could help you gain better understanding of this? I know that when my husband was ill, my ability to cope with the billing paperwork dropped off to nil, although I'm usually quite sharp about stuff like that.

I have. It was an attorney that set everything up in the first place. When I called and talked to them and again when I went over to see him in person, he just said not to pay anything for my husband and to give the providers the Medicaid number. I did. And the providers were told by Medicaid that he isn't on "Medicaid". He is only on for nursing home costs. Therefore, I am still responsible for all medical bills after insurance for both of us. Yet when I went to see the people in the Medicaid office, I got the same standard answer. "Sorry, we do not allow money for medical payments after insurance." And in the mail today I got a notice that someone is now suing for a garnishment to pay their bills. Of course that won't help with all the others. I just want to understand how they can keep you from having enough money to pay your bills?

I think you need a consult eith an elder care attorney.

Not eligible. I just want to be able to pay my bills. I have NEVER been late paying a bill and this has upset me to the point that I am not sleeping at all and now have been put on two blood pressure medications to try and control my pressure. My hair is falling out by the handfuls and I have sores breaking out all over my skin. Doctor says it is from stress over the bills. I have always been the one calling the doctors to remind them that they had not sent me a bill and asking what I owed so I could pay it off before they billed me. I absolutely cannot stand owing anyone. Being sued because of this has really created a huge amount of stress. I just don't understand how they can say that I am not allowed to pay something that I am obligated to pay. Now my doctor says they will not treat me any longer until I am paid in full on the bills.

It may be time for you to be on Medicaid as well. Call them.