Nursing Home Medications: Should we continue current coverage or will a different program cover her medications?

Nyalovesme: Pose your question to your mother's Medicare Supplemental Insurance through AARP United Health Care Their toll free phone number is 800-523-5800.

Medicaid should pick up that prescription D part. Just have to let them know that she was paying for it. I know this because my BIL is on Medicaid and they pick up the part B and part D of Medicare for him. He doesn't pay anything for his meds.

But if your mother is on anything like vitamins like my BIL was Medicaid doesn't pay for that at all even if its doctor ordered which his was.

Try calling Medicaid to ask your questions.

I kept all of DH aunts insurance. Medicaid allows it. Then when/if she needs something not covered by Medicaid, it is in place. Has come in handy a couple of times already. Plus when she does a zoom meeting with her geriatric primary, they get paid Medicare part B rate with supplement and not Medicaid rate.

I also pick up a couple of her meds and supply them to the NH. I like to know what she is being given in case of any changes.
Good info on the Medicaid recovery KPW, never thought of that. That doc might not even take Medicaid. I don’t know because I’ve never needed to know. I just keep using her orig Medicare, part B, supplement and Part D drug. But do check with your state.

If you haven't cancelled the policy yet, you may want to go to the medicaid office in person first and ask your question. Each state has its own regulations, but wanted to share some insights where I live. I use to work for the third-party-liability department of our state medicaid program. This has been many years ago now, so things may be totally different. At that time, our state's medicaid program would pick up the premiums for private policies in some cases. It is often cheaper for Medicaid to pay for premiums for a client rather than paying all the medical/medication expenses. So before anyone cancels any medical/medication type of insurance policies, please check with your local medicaid office and see if you are eligible for the premiums to be paid. This also potentially lessens what may be subject to medicaid recovery laws later. Medicaid can not recover more than they paid. It never hurts ask... but I have found asking in person usually gets the best information.

If you can get to her banking acct ask that the automatic deduction be stopped.

United health should be able to cancel it. If not try AARP. But before you do, make sure Medicaid does have a prescription plan in place.

Call Medicare, ask what Mom has on her acct. Should be Medicare and Medicaid. If United is still a provider ask how you can drop it.

The Nursing home does not "give her her medication" as such. They order them through their pharmacy using her AARP or/and her medicaid.
Until you discontinue United, they will be first billed then Medicaid. Once u can discontinue United, then Medicaid will take over.

Another thought, is Moms AARP thru a former employer? If so, I would think you can call them and have them cancel the coverage. I think thats what I did. Been a while.

You may also want to check with a Medicaid caseworker in the state where she lives. My brother-in-law has part D insurance he was paying for, and continued to pay on it for a while out of his social security payment once he went on Medicaid. But eventually the state's Medicaid program must have picked up the premium and co-pay costs because he no longer has any drug costs. In his monthly statements it shows what the plan paid and there's another column that shows what was paid by what I think is the state's "extra help" program. There are special provisions for people who are "dual eligible" (Medicare and Medicaid).

You should call United Health and discuss. This was the insurance my brother had. They were VERY HELPFUL and professional on the phone. They were costly, but they were excellent coverage in his last years.

Heres a link with some info
https://www.medicareinteractive.org/get-answers/cost-saving-programs-for-people-with-medicare/medicare-and-medicaid/how-medicaid-works-with-medicare