Think Cutting Medicaid Doesn't Affect You? (orig. 4/2/2011)

One of the current budget proposals running around Washington calls for cutting Medicaid by $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Well, that doesn't affect you, right? You're on Medicare, a completely different program. Medicaid is only for the poor, and that's not you. Not quite.

First of all, there's a lot you probably don't know--or understand--about Medicaid. For instance, that if you're a poor adult male who is not disabled, tough, Medicaid does not cover you.

How about this: One out of every three Medicaid dollars goes to pay for nursing home care, and the AARP estimates that two out of every three nursing home beds are paid for by Medicaid. Getting closer to home? 

Well, you're covered by Medicare. Doesn't that pay for nursing home care? Nope! Only for short stays after hospitalization. If you don't have longterm care insurance or can't afford the $72,000/year it costs to stay in a nursing home, welcome to the wonderful world of Medicaid! This is precisely why "Ask the Elderlaw Attorney" is the most popular session at our annual conference.

It's probably worth your time to read a column called "Cut Medicaid? You May Have To Kick Grandma Out of the Nursing Home!" Here's the link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-bergthold/cut-medicaid-you-may-have_b_843694.html