Help me sort through the Medicaid maze

• Article - Medicaid: A Beginner's Guide

  Medicaid: A Beginner's Guide. What is Medicaid? Who qualifies for Medicaid? What does Medicaid cover?

• Article - Medicare: A Beginner's Guide

  Medicare: A Beginner's Guide. What is Medicare? Who's eligible for Medicare? What's covered by Medicare? How much does Medicare cost?

• Article - Medigap: A Beginner's Guide

  Medigap: A Beginner's Guide. What is medigap? What are the medigap insurance plans and what do they cover? Are my parents eligible for medigap?

• Checklist - 8 Things to Look for in a Nursing Home Agreement

  Nursing home agreements affect your parent's care in a nursing home. Here's what to look for in a nursing home agreement.

• Article - Hospice Care Basics

  Hospice care can make your parent's final days as comfortable as possible. What to expect from hospice care, how to pay for it, and where to find it.

• Article - "Aging in Place" Communities Offer Seniors Independence and Support

  Creative programs offer seniors new ways to get the services of a retirement community while remaining at home. Here are three popular models.

• Interview - Talking With Dudley Clendinen

  The author of A Place Called Canterbury talks about the role of a good life-care facility in the final days a parent and adult child have together.

Blog Posts

• Blog Post - Five Tips for Keeping the Sandwich Together

  Five tips to help sandwich generation members ease the stress of caring for aging parents in their homes.

• Blog Post - Aging Parents and Dental Care: A Life-and-Death Issue

  Regular dental care for your parents can be a matter of life and death.

Questions & Answers

• Question - Is a Medicaid annuity a scam?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my mother help pay for her grandchildren's education and still qualify for Medicaid?

  Will a parent risk Medicaid benefits by helping with grandchildren's education? It's essential to consider whether Medicaid will be lost this way.

• Question - Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long-term care?

  Will Medicaid or Medicare help pay for my mother's long term care? Medicare will cover 100 days in a nursing home if certain qualifications are met.

• Question - Can Medicaid take a house to pay for nursing home care?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Do my parents need to get divorced to qualify for Medicaid?

  Should my parents get a divorce so that Dad can get Medicaid? It's possible that they won't need a divorce for him to qualify for Medicaid.

• Question - Is home healthcare part of the Medicaid waiver program SOURCE?

  The SOURCE program includes home health care as part of an overall care plan to keep frail seniors out of nursing homes.

• Question - What do I need to apply for Medicaid for my mother, for whom I'm guardian?

  What do I need to do to apply for Medicaid for my parent? I've spent down her assets, but I'm not sure what else I need to do to apply for Medicaid.

• Question - Does Medicaid help pay for a hearing aid?

  Does Medicaid cover a hearing aid? In most cases, Medicaid pays for some or all of a hearing aid. Ask your doctor about your Medicaid's coverage.

• Question - Do You Have to Be Bankrupt to Get Medicaid?

  Do you have to be bankrupt to qualify for Medicare or Medicaid home care? Can Medicaid take your house? Medicaid does have very low limits for assets.

• Question - What documentation do we need in order to avoid any potential issues with Medicaid qualification related to giving children an early inhereitance?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How should my father balance estate planning, tax planning, and Medicaid planning?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Is there a limit on how far back a person can seek reimbursement for expenses incurred while acting as attorney-in-fact?

  Unanswered. Can you help?

• Question - If I move my mother in with me will it affect her Medicare/Medicaid status?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I reflect my mother's Medicaid coverage and nuring home costs on her tax form and is she eligible for the rebate?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my grandmother pay me directly with her Medicaid "spend down" for services I provide?

  Can my grandmother pay me for some of her caregiving costs to spend down for Medicaid? Yes, some caregiving costs apply to Medicaid spend down.

• Question - How do I apply for Medicaid?

  Medicaid provides broad coverage for medical care. You apply at your state's local Medicaid office, usually a county social services office.

• Question - Is there a minimum amount below which Medicaid doesn't bother to check asset transfers?

  For nursing home coverage, Medicaid may look at how the applicant has spent any amount, or transferred property, over the previous five years.

• Question - Can a gift trust to your children protect you from qualifying for Medicaid consideration?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - Can my grandmother get a safety bath tub from Medicaid?

  Medicaid can provide special bathing equipment for someone who qualifies for home health care.

• Question - Is the treatment called IVIG (administered through IV) covered by Medicaid?

  This question has been answered by a Caring.com Expert

• Question - How do I get my husband signed up for Medicare Part D?

  Medicare Part D drug coverage is very inexpensive for people eligible for Medicaid and in nursing homes.

• Question - Does a living trust protect money from Medicaid consideration?

  Will putting money in a living trust protect my parent's money and help her get Medicaid? No, Medicaid considers money in a living trust an asset.

Tips & Reflections

• Tip - Using Medicaid to Hire Family and Friends as In-home Caregivers

  If your parent is eligible for Medicaid, the state...