Are there any resources out there to help me pay for my mom's assisted living bills?

Fcs11158 asked...

Are there any resources out there to help me pay for assisted living for my mom?

Expert Answer

In some states, the Medicaid program can pay the full cost of assisted living, in participating facilities, for seniors with low income and few assets. Several things all have to come together for this to happen.

  • Your mother has to qualify for Medicaid. This means she must have very low income and few assets.

  • The Medicaid program in the state where your mother lives must include assisted living in its long-term care coverage.

  • The assisted living facility your mother lives in, or wants to live in, has to participate in Medicaid. This means that Medicaid has certified (approved) the facility and the facility accepts Medicaid payment as payment-in-full. Also, some Medicaid-participating assisted living facilities limit the number of Medicaid-payment residents they accept, so there will have to be a Medicaid-payment spot available in the facility for your mother.

To learn about Medicaid eligibility rules in the state where your mother lives, to find out whether Medicaid in that state covers assisted living, and if so to find out what assisted living facilities participate in the Medicaid program, get in touch with a local Medicaid office. To find a local office, go to the Govbenefits.gov page that lists Medicaid programs by state, and click on the information for your state. Or, go online to any search engine and enter the word Medicaid and the name of your state. You can also call the Eldercare Locator toll-free at 800-677-1116.