Medicaid and Memory Assisted Living: What You Need to Know
Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 5 million Americans with 1 in 3 dying from this debilitating condition or another form of dementia. It makes Alzheimer’s the 6th leading cause of death in the country. This year, the country is expected to spend up to $1 trillion for Alzheimer’s care including memory assisted living and that number will continue to grow as the baby booming population enters late adulthood. Medicaid is one of the healthcare programs that offer financial assistance for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease so they can be given excellent care without passing the entire burden to the family. But what does it offer in memory assisted living and Alzheimer’s care in general?
Understanding Medicaid
Medicaid is a federal and state-wide program in the United States that helps cover medical costs for Americans of all ages with low income. Unlike the more popular Medicare that caters to all Americans regardless of their income, Medicaid is focused solely on people who have limited financial resources. This is so they can still get access to good quality healthcare when they need it.
Medicaid also offers coverage for most long-term non-medical services for patients living with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia while Medicare beneficiaries would still need to apply for Medicare Advantage plans to get supplemental benefits for these medical conditions.
Medicaid offers different programs specifically for individuals with Alzheimer’s diseases and other dementias to fit their different needs. Many states also have their own Medicaid programs that are exclusive to members of the community. But in general, these programs are divided into two categories:
Institutional Medicaid
As the name suggests, Institutional Medicaid is offered in nursing homes and it is an entitlement for all Americans in 50 states and the District of Columbia. What this means is that if a patient is qualified then the state must pay for their care in the nursing home.
Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS)
This form of Medicaid service is offered to patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia who are residing in their own homes or “within the community,” which means those in adult day care, memory assisted living, and foster care. The HCBS program is aimed at keeping Alzheimer’s patients from relocating to a nursing home right away due to the progression of their condition.
Medicaid offers HCBS through Medicaid Waivers or 1915© Waivers. Unlike Institutional Medicaid that offers entitlement, a patient can be qualified for HCBS Medicaid Waiver but he may be on the waitlist before he could avail of these services due to the limited number of participants that could be accommodated at a time.
Some patients have to wait for months to be part of this program while some waivers only target a specific demographic of qualified individuals.
Medicaid is one of the best options for people suffering from Alzheimer’s or dementia to get financial aid to cover for the cost of their care. This allows them to enjoy a good quality of life without passing the burden to their loved ones.
Providence Place of Fremont is proud to offer its Assisted Living Services to Fremont NE and its Surrounding areas and Cities: Inglewood, Cedar Bluffs, Ames, Leshara, Arlington, Fontanelle, Nickerson, Telbasta, and North Bend
