Medicare and Medicaid question for my father?

Question

My father is 81 in a retirement home for about 4yrs now. He now can't get around on his own cause his legs are getting weak. We are planning to put him in a nursing home so that there will be someone to be able to watch him all the time. I wanted to know if he will be able to qualify for medicare and medicaid. Who can and how?

Answer 1

He is already getting Medicare at 81. You will have to fill out the paperwork for Medicaid. If his only income is Social Security and he doesn't have a lot of cash in the bank he will qualify. If he does have assets, they often have spend down rules. If he is still pretty sharp, have you considered getting him one of those electric wheelchairs? My SIL (in her late 40s) has muscular dystrophy and got one of those through Medicare. Made life much easier for her.

Answer 2

He should already qualify for medicare, but it doesn't cover nursing homes. To get medicaid, you are going to have to liquidate all his assets. Once, he has a suitably low net worth, you can then apply to medicaid. Medicaid does cover nursing homes.

Answer 3

as far as the medicaid is concerned you will need to contact the department of social services and fill out the paperwork, and you will also have to apply for medicare also, at least in michigan medicaid depends on income, and what your assets are, i am unsure how medicare operates