Has your loved one recently received a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease? Are you concerned about obtaining the necessary ongoing daily care that your loved one will need? Be aware that there are ways to pay for skilled nursing care when a loved one has Parkinson’s disease, including Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs available. We highly recommend that you consult a Florida elder law attorney who can be helpful in determining your best options.
Even though Medicare and Medicaid are different programs, each may contribute to paying for nursing home care for your loved one. Medicare is, in fact, the health insurance program for adults over age 65. Medicare has a limited nursing home benefit, paying only for 100 days of care, but it can be the most useful in the pre-nursing home stage. Many Medicare plans will pay up to 80% of the costs of all of the doctor’s visits and diagnostic tests that come prior to a Parkinson’s diagnosis, until the deductible on your loved one’s health insurance plan is met. Medicare may then cover the remaining costs for the pre-diagnosis visits.
What about Medicaid? If your loved one qualifies for Medicaid, it can take over when Medicare benefits are no longer enough. Qualified individuals can have nursing home costs covered by Medicaid in every state when this level of care is needed. If your loved one needs care in his or her own home first, a Florida elder law or Medicaid attorney can help you navigate the process of obtaining a Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver. This waiver can enable Medicaid to cover the cost of caring for your loved one with a Parkinson’s diagnosis in his or her own home.
In addition, Medicaid can also cover the costs of a Personal Care Assistant (PCA) which is particularly helpful for elderly people with Parkinson’s. A PCA is focused on caring for your loved one and can develop a longer term caregiving relationship, which many families find meaningful and rely on.
At the Perlin Estate Planning & Probate our credentials enable us to provide a multi-disciplinary approach to our legal services. By building relationships with our clients, we are also able to understand each client’s needs and desires, and we support such goals through thoughtful, comprehensive planning techniques. We encourage you to contact us and schedule a meeting.