Can I get paid to be a caregiver through Medicare and Social Security?
I am caring for a 71 year old male which happens to be my future father-in-law. i do not work because i take care of him daily while my fiance works but i want to know how do i start the process for getting paid for this. His sons and i do not know where to start since he is not a medicaid but is on medicare and social security
Expert Answer
Neither Medicare nor Social Security has any program to pay a family caregiver for long-term daily care. However, in some states there are programs that can pay family caregivers to care for their loved one at home. There are several restrictions on eligibility for these programs, however. Here are the basics about these programs that pay family caregivers, as they would apply in your situation: 1. Such programs are only available in certain states. 2. The programs are only available to people -- meaning your future father-in-law, not you -- whose income is very low and who have few assets other than the home they live in. In most case, these income and asset limits are the same as the state's Medicaid eligibility limits. In your case, the program would add up your future father-in-law's Social Security benefits plus any other sources of income he receives. 3. If he qualifies, the amount the program pays is very low and would not come close to the amount you might make at a full-time job.
If your state has a caregiver payment program (sometimes called Cash and Counseling or other, similar name) and your father-in-law-to-be is eligible, the program can provide him with direct caregiver payments that he could pay to you. The amount the program would pay depends on the program's assessment of your father-in-law's need for care, on the prevailing pay rate for in-home care aides in your state, and on the program's own payment limits.
To find out whether your state has a Cash and Counseling or similar program, and if so to learn how much it might pay, contact your local Medicaid, human services, or social services office. To find the nearest Medicaid or other state office that handles in-home care programs, contact your nearest Area Agency on Aging and ask them whom to call in your state to learn about direct payment programs for in-home care.