Yes, no raise for 2016 is definitely going to be hard for many people. I strongly agree upon contacting our legislators for help in finding alternatives to helping recipients in someway or another since 2016 will have no raise.
I must also say that as hard as it may be to hear, bringing more children into the picture is a very bad idea when you're already struggling financially. Children are already very expensive to raise. Let's say you already have two children, and you're already at the max of your financial ability to support them, and getting another job is not an option. Let's say that you are already getting all of the help that you can possibly get for the family size that you already have. Again, you're already financially strapped to the point that you just can't forward to take on any more responsibility, so why put yourself into a bigger financial strain knowing that you can't afford it? The smartest move yes to is to stop having more kids until you can comfortably afford it. Some people don't even have kids for economic reasons, and those who have small families know how much financial responsibility they can afford to take on. The bigger the family, the more it's going to cost to provide for them, which means the need for a bigger income. The smartest thing to do is to not take on any more than you can actually afford.
interstellar, while you might not be poor enough to get Welfare aid right now, if you are getting help to pay the MediCare monthly premiums, you are in their system, which can facilitate ramping-up to get more assistance later.
And, it might be helpful to sign up for Section 8 HUD housing assistance, if you rent [doesn't work if you own/buying a house].
Anyone on Disability, needs to contact their legislators to suggest viable alternate solutions to the probable Disability Cut slated for 2016, of approx. 19%. That's gonna be harsh in the extreme, for most disability recipients. Which makes applying for Section 8 HUD housing assistance, important for those who rent. Bad part is, it can take years before one reaches the front of that waiting list. One client here, j.u.s.t. got hers after waiting NINE years...now she has 3 more kids and a husband. They _really_ need it now!
Sorry, still confusing. Medicaid and Medicare are two different programs. Is the Medicare because ur 65 or for disability? Part D pays only for perscriptions you will need a supplimental for the 20% Medicare doesn't pay. Why did Medicaid turn u down. Will u make too much with Medicare, pension and what u have in the bank? You can always appeal a decission. As a supplimental, I wouldn't spend down.
the people here have been very helpful with their answers, and for that i thank you. I will explain the situation in detail. the question i asked was " Can i opt of of medicaid to avoid a spend down?". For me Medicare will start February 1, 2016 with extra help to pay part d. My state of Ohio has denied my medicaid for the disabled application and my qualified medicare beneficiary(QMB). But the department of health & Human Resources has sent me a letter stating i qualify for extra help with medicare to pay for part d. i am beginning to wonder if there is extra help with medicaid and medicare or if its one program covering both medicaid and medicare.
Joy sissy not sure why you would be checked for income differences unless on Medicaid for the Blue Cross/Blue shield. If so, then you need to talk to your Medicaid office. If they now turn you down because of the Va money then all you will have to get is a supplimetal, it won't effect your Medicare.
We'll get extra income such as A and A from V A for husband (starting in a month)and both myself and husband have monies coming out of SS to pay for Medicare our Blue Cross and Shield.Yes , we are checked every 3-4 months(KY) for income differences- Will we have to get new coverage??Since this money will comes in. If thats the case why have the money come out of SS for Medicare if I have to pay for it with new money coming in.??
First of all, let me warn you that if you have an unexpected medical emergency, there are definitely going to be unexpected medical expenses. If you're eligible for Medicaid, you definitely don't want to turn it down for this reason because unexpected medical expenses can be very high and drain your extra money very quickly. Additionally, private insurance can run pretty expensive per month. I checked into getting extra insurance beyond Medicaid, and I was told that policies start well over $100 per month. The only reason why I started looking for other coverage before I found out about my inheritance money is because I was having an awful time getting some things covered that were medically necessary. Some of the medications ordered for me were actually substituted for offbrands, meaning they were under another name. This is why I started looking for additional coverage. One thing that was mentioned to me by one insurance company if you get any other coverage and Medicaid finds out about it, you could lose your Medicaid. If you're on medical assistance along with other public programs, you really can't afford to buy expensive healthcare policies because your federal benefit money is very limited to a very small amount. This is why people are often very grateful for extra money, and that money so definitely be protected in some way or another.
What you can do is speak to your bank manager if you have extra money that you need to protect. You can see what your bank has offer, and if they don't have anything suitable for you, you can always check other banks.
Have you ever considered putting the money into a trust or annuity? They only downfall of having a trustee is the risk that they could easily steal from you. I recently learned this from a lawyer when I was investigating the possibility of putting my inheritance money into a trust. After hearing at least one nightmare story, I'm now rethinking the trust idea and I am considering an annuity. Yes, you can use some of the money to pay off what absolutely needs paid most, which is what I'm doing when my money comes. Another thing you can consider doing with your money is getting a car if you don't already have one and you need one. If you already have a car, you may want to consider whether or not keeping it is actually worth it since older cars would require you to pour money into them to restore them. Sometimes getting a new one is actually much better since you know that you won't be pouring money into it and depleting your savings.
There's another thing you can do with your money is to put it into a CD, which is the safest possible investment. Of course there may also be special high interest-bearing accounts that can help you to grow your savings.
First of all, let me warn you that if you have an unexpected medical emergency, there are definitely going to be unexpected medical expenses. If you're eligible for Medicaid, you definitely don't want to turn it down for this reason because unexpected medical expenses can be very high and drain your extra money very quickly. Additionally, private insurance can run pretty expensive per month. I checked into getting extra insurance beyond Medicaid, and I was told that policies start well over $100 per month. The only reason why I started looking for other coverage before I found out about my inheritance money is because I was having an awful time getting some things covered that were medically necessary. Some of the medications ordered for me were actually substituted for offbrands, meaning they were under another name. This is why I started looking for additional coverage. One thing that was mentioned to me by one insurance company if you get any other coverage and Medicaid finds out about it, you could lose your Medicaid. If you're on medical assistance along with other public programs, you really can't afford to buy expensive healthcare policies because your federal benefit money is very limited to a very small amount. This is why people are often very grateful for extra money, and that money so definitely be protected in some way or another.
What you can do is speak to your bank manager if you have extra money that you need to protect. You can see what your bank has offer, and if they don't have anything suitable for you, you can always check other banks.
Have you ever considered putting the money into a trust or annuity? They only downfall of having a trustee is the risk that they could easily steal from you. I recently learned this from a lawyer when I was investigating the possibility of putting my inheritance money into a trust. After hearing at least one nightmare story, I'm now rethinking the trust idea and I am considering an annuity. Yes, you can use some of the money to pay off what absolutely needs paid most, which is what I'm doing when my money comes. Another thing you can consider doing with your money is getting a car if you don't already have one and you need one. If you already have a car, you may want to consider whether or not keeping it is actually worth it since older cars would require you to pour money into them to restore them. Sometimes getting a new one is actually much better since you know that you won't be pouring money into it and depleting your savings.
There's another thing you can do with your body is to put it into a CD, which is the safest possible investment. Of course there may also be special high interest-bearing accounts that can help you to grow your savings.
Seems to be some confusion or misunderstanding in terms? Many people confuse MediCare and MediCaid [then there's CA, where MediCaid is called "Medi-Cal"].
MediCARE is Federal; a monthly premium gets deducted from the monthly Social Security check. One gets this when they reach retirement age, or, if they get SSDI [disability--which is currently threatened with almost a 20% cut in 2016, if no better solution is found].
MediCAID [or CA's Medi-CAL], is State Aid for under-income persons; this is NOT Automatically given, it must be Applied and Qualified for, to get. It's not an "Opt-Out" thing [opt-out implies one was automatically enrolled].
One can Apply to DSHS [Welfare] to get enrolled into the Federal program they manage, to have that pay for the MediCARE monthly premium that is normally deducted from one's Social Security check, But that means one must be under-income, and close-to or actually needing welfare assistance as well, meaning one must qualify under the State Welfar limitations on income and assets, to get that help. But there is no "payback" for this program, the way there is for State Aid [State Asset recovery for Aid given]...I think.
OTH: When someone is in a facility, if they don't have enough to pay for it, and are on MediCARE, the facility usually applies to/signs the person up to get Welfare, to get MediCAID, to help pay the bills in the facility. ===Is that what you meant you wanted to "opt-out" of? If so, not sure you can do that. Facilities want to get paid, and, even with a combo MediCare/MediCaid, they still get under-paid on their bills. So not likely they'd allow shutting off the welfare then.
If the elder is at home, though, it's possible to stop receiving MediCaid....but then, one will lack helps they need...Because MediCare does not cover everything, by a long-shot. Read carefully: MediCare covers UP-TO 80% of covered services....That means, they can cover many things at smaller %, and, they have loads of stuff they don't cover at all. One elder near here, was so angry at the insurance scams we've all been forced into, she swore she'd never use anything but her MediCare to cover medical needs....in less than a year, she needed both hips replaced, while away from home. That nearly caused her to lose her home.
Joysissy...I think you are asking a different question. So you don't file taxes at all? If you pay the person yourself out of your own funds rather than through an agency it may be different and it depends on the reason the person was in prison. Often senior centers or other agencies having to do with the elderly have resources to help answer these questions. Most places also have free tax preparers who can guide you when tax time comes.
Interstellar, you asked this question three days ago, and ppl have gone out of their way, as is usual on this board, to provide helpful and very detailed answers. Have you read them? Could you provide a further explanation as to whether you mean medicare or medicaid? Please try not to leave us wondering.
If my husband is paid Veterans- Aid and Assistance do we claim it-. We don't pay or claim taxes. -70 yrs old. and on SS. What about the person we pay to help take care of husband, do they claim it? I also heard that a person from prison may not be able to take care of him.We know them.
Question is well meaning, and answers are too..However, without more context and details, no one can provide a definitive answer... Only saying Grace & Peace,
You can OPT out and not apply for or receive Medicaid Benefits. You can still keep Extra Help as these are two different programs. Don't do the spend down if you are not ready or interested. Meet with your local Area Aging Agency or Senior Center and find out how to maintain your independence and make your money last as long as possible while still staying safe in your own residence. For people who rent and are moderately low income, moving to a Subsidized apartment can lower your outgoing expenses enough to free up more money to pay a caregiver or cleaning and laundry and grocery shopping help. The money you pay a caregiver is exempt from calculation in your rent amount Example Income 2,000$ a month Medical insurance and caregiver costs per month 900.00$ Income used to calculate rent is 1100.00$ It may help your money to last longer. Good Luck Good luck.
Ramiller - I was kinda assuming that interstellar was asking about how to continue to get the " extra help" subsidy for Part D that is a benefit available by Medicare. Medicare not Medicaid. Part D is the prescription benefit part and if you are of limited income & resources, you can qualify for Medicare extra help WITHOUT being also on Medicaid. Extra help allows for around 4K additional to get paid by Medicare on your prescriptions. You don't have to apply for and get Medicaid (Medicaid not medicare) to get the medicare extra help subsidy.
Now if you are on Medicaid, then you've already established your poverty level, so between whatever medicaid covers & MediCARE's extra help subsidy, all medications costs are paid for. But I'd bet that is not interstelkars situation.
I think interstellar is trying to find out how to get the medicare "extra help" subsidy without having to apply separately for medicaid. If that's the ?, then probably they got either the gray or the orange letter last month from Medicare on the change to their current extra help subsidy as the formula for what is acceptable income to qualify for Medicare extra help is changing for 2016.
If they take a few regular & continuous expensive meds, the medicare extra help makes a difference in affordability. But sometimes changing their medication line up will be enough to get coverage. And then sometimes changing to a different Medicare advantage plan can provide for coverage. If so, they need to change their Medicare plan and perhaps switch to a group that covers their part D. (Or add a part F, although I don't quite understand part F). They have to do this NOW as open enrollment for Medicare shuts down early, early in December.
The M&M's can be quite quite confusing to figure out. We had a friend who has a compounded prescription and they had to change to a whole other medicare advantage group from traditional Medicare & extra help too but even still the costs to get the compounded med covered wasn't there.
No one is forced to go on Medicaid - a person must qualify for lack of funds needed to maintain health care. So, as the others have said, we are missing some information or we don't understand your question. We'll try to answer better if you'd like to add more. Take care, Carol
Yes, not sure either. As far as I know, Medicaid as a suppliment to Medicare has nothing to do with Medicaid that pays for long term nursing. Unless u can pay out of pocket the 20 percent that Medicare doesn't pay and your prescriptions. If u can afford a suppliment than u can't get Medicaid. My nephew, 25, is disabled by birth. He receives SS disability. He receives Medicare and Medicaid. He is also allowed to earn a certain amount. I don't see how opting out would have anything to do with a spend down. Are u sure you don't mean Medicare. This you shouldn't opt out of. You may be penalized later on when u do need it.
Medicaid to to kick in when there are no more resources which would mean the person would have already 'spent down' everything. You are not required to apply for Medicaid if you do not need the resources. If you do apply for Medicaid then yes, they will 'look back' over the previous years spending to see if any resources could have been used to care for the person but instead were gifted to relatives, etc. To me this is only fair. Medicaid is paid for by the taxpayers, it is not an 'entitlement' program in the same way that Medicare is where you will have paid into the system through payroll taxes.
Interstellar - ok so you already get mediCARE's extra help, right? And this is about its paying for part D right? If so, which of the following did you get the past couple of months....the GRAY letter, the ORANGE letter or the WHITE letter? The letters color refer to what your coverage will be for 2016 as it seems the formula is being changed for next year. I think alot of folks are going to find that extra help isn't going to be available to them for 2016 due to new income formula. If that's you, then IMHO if you are likely to be stable with whatever set of Rx's you take right now for next year, then you just flat just have to go through part D plans available for your region/city to see which will pay for your medications that you need and can afford the copay fir if required. Or if your doc can write generics Rx's that will be within a Part D that you can get. Otherwise you have to get onto or renew your medicaid, as because if you are on medicaid the Rx's for the most part get paid either by Medicare or medicaid.
Remember all this has to be done ASAP as medicare open enrollment closes early, early December.
I must also say that as hard as it may be to hear, bringing more children into the picture is a very bad idea when you're already struggling financially. Children are already very expensive to raise. Let's say you already have two children, and you're already at the max of your financial ability to support them, and getting another job is not an option. Let's say that you are already getting all of the help that you can possibly get for the family size that you already have. Again, you're already financially strapped to the point that you just can't forward to take on any more responsibility, so why put yourself into a bigger financial strain knowing that you can't afford it? The smartest move yes to is to stop having more kids until you can comfortably afford it. Some people don't even have kids for economic reasons, and those who have small families know how much financial responsibility they can afford to take on. The bigger the family, the more it's going to cost to provide for them, which means the need for a bigger income. The smartest thing to do is to not take on any more than you can actually afford.
And, it might be helpful to sign up for Section 8 HUD housing assistance, if you rent [doesn't work if you own/buying a house].
Anyone on Disability, needs to contact their legislators to suggest viable alternate solutions to the probable Disability Cut slated for 2016, of approx. 19%.
That's gonna be harsh in the extreme, for most disability recipients.
Which makes applying for Section 8 HUD housing assistance, important for those who rent. Bad part is, it can take years before one reaches the front of that waiting list. One client here, j.u.s.t. got hers after waiting NINE years...now she has 3 more kids and a husband. They _really_ need it now!
Grace + Peace,
Bob
First of all, let me warn you that if you have an unexpected medical emergency, there are definitely going to be unexpected medical expenses. If you're eligible for Medicaid, you definitely don't want to turn it down for this reason because unexpected medical expenses can be very high and drain your extra money very quickly. Additionally, private insurance can run pretty expensive per month. I checked into getting extra insurance beyond Medicaid, and I was told that policies start well over $100 per month. The only reason why I started looking for other coverage before I found out about my inheritance money is because I was having an awful time getting some things covered that were medically necessary. Some of the medications ordered for me were actually substituted for offbrands, meaning they were under another name. This is why I started looking for additional coverage. One thing that was mentioned to me by one insurance company if you get any other coverage and Medicaid finds out about it, you could lose your Medicaid. If you're on medical assistance along with other public programs, you really can't afford to buy expensive healthcare policies because your federal benefit money is very limited to a very small amount. This is why people are often very grateful for extra money, and that money so definitely be protected in some way or another.
What you can do is speak to your bank manager if you have extra money that you need to protect. You can see what your bank has offer, and if they don't have anything suitable for you, you can always check other banks.
Have you ever considered putting the money into a trust or annuity? They only downfall of having a trustee is the risk that they could easily steal from you. I recently learned this from a lawyer when I was investigating the possibility of putting my inheritance money into a trust. After hearing at least one nightmare story, I'm now rethinking the trust idea and I am considering an annuity. Yes, you can use some of the money to pay off what absolutely needs paid most, which is what I'm doing when my money comes. Another thing you can consider doing with your money is getting a car if you don't already have one and you need one. If you already have a car, you may want to consider whether or not keeping it is actually worth it since older cars would require you to pour money into them to restore them. Sometimes getting a new one is actually much better since you know that you won't be pouring money into it and depleting your savings.
There's another thing you can do with your money is to put it into a CD, which is the safest possible investment. Of course there may also be special high interest-bearing accounts that can help you to grow your savings.
First of all, let me warn you that if you have an unexpected medical emergency, there are definitely going to be unexpected medical expenses. If you're eligible for Medicaid, you definitely don't want to turn it down for this reason because unexpected medical expenses can be very high and drain your extra money very quickly. Additionally, private insurance can run pretty expensive per month. I checked into getting extra insurance beyond Medicaid, and I was told that policies start well over $100 per month. The only reason why I started looking for other coverage before I found out about my inheritance money is because I was having an awful time getting some things covered that were medically necessary. Some of the medications ordered for me were actually substituted for offbrands, meaning they were under another name. This is why I started looking for additional coverage. One thing that was mentioned to me by one insurance company if you get any other coverage and Medicaid finds out about it, you could lose your Medicaid. If you're on medical assistance along with other public programs, you really can't afford to buy expensive healthcare policies because your federal benefit money is very limited to a very small amount. This is why people are often very grateful for extra money, and that money so definitely be protected in some way or another.
What you can do is speak to your bank manager if you have extra money that you need to protect. You can see what your bank has offer, and if they don't have anything suitable for you, you can always check other banks.
Have you ever considered putting the money into a trust or annuity? They only downfall of having a trustee is the risk that they could easily steal from you. I recently learned this from a lawyer when I was investigating the possibility of putting my inheritance money into a trust. After hearing at least one nightmare story, I'm now rethinking the trust idea and I am considering an annuity. Yes, you can use some of the money to pay off what absolutely needs paid most, which is what I'm doing when my money comes. Another thing you can consider doing with your money is getting a car if you don't already have one and you need one. If you already have a car, you may want to consider whether or not keeping it is actually worth it since older cars would require you to pour money into them to restore them. Sometimes getting a new one is actually much better since you know that you won't be pouring money into it and depleting your savings.
There's another thing you can do with your body is to put it into a CD, which is the safest possible investment. Of course there may also be special high interest-bearing accounts that can help you to grow your savings.
Many people confuse MediCare and MediCaid [then there's CA, where MediCaid is called "Medi-Cal"].
MediCARE is Federal; a monthly premium gets deducted from the monthly Social Security check. One gets this when they reach retirement age, or, if they get SSDI [disability--which is currently threatened with almost a 20% cut in 2016, if no better solution is found].
MediCAID [or CA's Medi-CAL], is State Aid for under-income persons; this is NOT Automatically given, it must be Applied and Qualified for, to get.
It's not an "Opt-Out" thing [opt-out implies one was automatically enrolled].
One can Apply to DSHS [Welfare] to get enrolled into the Federal program they manage, to have that pay for the MediCARE monthly premium that is normally deducted from one's Social Security check,
But that means one must be under-income, and close-to or actually needing welfare assistance as well, meaning one must qualify under the State Welfar limitations on income and assets, to get that help.
But there is no "payback" for this program, the way there is for State Aid [State Asset recovery for Aid given]...I think.
OTH:
When someone is in a facility, if they don't have enough to pay for it, and are on MediCARE, the facility usually applies to/signs the person up to get Welfare, to get MediCAID, to help pay the bills in the facility.
===Is that what you meant you wanted to "opt-out" of?
If so, not sure you can do that. Facilities want to get paid, and, even with a combo MediCare/MediCaid, they still get under-paid on their bills. So not likely they'd allow shutting off the welfare then.
If the elder is at home, though, it's possible to stop receiving MediCaid....but then, one will lack helps they need...Because MediCare does not cover everything, by a long-shot.
Read carefully: MediCare covers UP-TO 80% of covered services....That means, they can cover many things at smaller %, and, they have loads of stuff they don't cover at all.
One elder near here, was so angry at the insurance scams we've all been forced into, she swore she'd never use anything but her MediCare to cover medical needs....in less than a year, she needed both hips replaced, while away from home. That nearly caused her to lose her home.
Hope this helps.
If you pay the person yourself out of your own funds rather than through an agency it may be different and it depends on the reason the person was in prison.
Often senior centers or other agencies having to do with the elderly have resources to help answer these questions. Most places also have free tax preparers who can guide you when tax time comes.
Only saying
Grace & Peace,
Bob
For people who rent and are moderately low income, moving to a Subsidized apartment can lower your outgoing expenses enough to free up more money to pay a caregiver or cleaning and laundry and grocery shopping help.
The money you pay a caregiver is exempt from calculation in your rent amount
Example
Income 2,000$ a month
Medical insurance and caregiver costs per month 900.00$
Income used to calculate rent is 1100.00$
It may help your money to last longer.
Good Luck
Good luck.
Now if you are on Medicaid, then you've already established your poverty level, so between whatever medicaid covers & MediCARE's extra help subsidy, all medications costs are paid for. But I'd bet that is not interstelkars situation.
I think interstellar is trying to find out how to get the medicare "extra help" subsidy without having to apply separately for medicaid. If that's the ?, then probably they got either the gray or the orange letter last month from Medicare on the change to their current extra help subsidy as the formula for what is acceptable income to qualify for Medicare extra help is changing for 2016.
If they take a few regular & continuous expensive meds, the medicare extra help makes a difference in affordability. But sometimes changing their medication line up will be enough to get coverage. And then sometimes changing to a different Medicare advantage plan can provide for coverage. If so, they need to change their Medicare plan and perhaps switch to a group that covers their part D. (Or add a part F, although I don't quite understand part F). They have to do this NOW as open enrollment for Medicare shuts down early, early in December.
The M&M's can be quite quite confusing to figure out. We had a friend who has a compounded prescription and they had to change to a whole other medicare advantage group from traditional Medicare & extra help too but even still the costs to get the compounded med covered wasn't there.
Take care,
Carol
To me this is only fair. Medicaid is paid for by the taxpayers, it is not an 'entitlement' program in the same way that Medicare is where you will have paid into the system through payroll taxes.
If so, which of the following did you get the past couple of months....the GRAY letter, the ORANGE letter or the WHITE letter? The letters color refer to what your coverage will be for 2016 as it seems the formula is being changed for next year. I think alot of folks are going to find that extra help isn't going to be available to them for 2016 due to new income formula. If that's you, then IMHO if you are likely to be stable with whatever set of Rx's you take right now for next year, then you just flat just have to go through part D plans available for your region/city to see which will pay for your medications that you need and can afford the copay fir if required. Or if your doc can write generics Rx's that will be within a Part D that you can get. Otherwise you have to get onto or renew your medicaid, as because if you are on medicaid the Rx's for the most part get paid either by Medicare or medicaid.
Remember all this has to be done ASAP as medicare open enrollment closes early, early December.