Medicaid is an essential part of healthcare and life planning for America’s elderly, but getting signed up is vastly more complicated than most first-timers anticipate. That’s true whether you’re applying for yourself or for an aging parent.
Of course, those who’ve dealt with government applications in the past are probably unsurprised by all the red tape and bureaucracy that can accompany the Medicaid application process. Still, even for the well weathered, it’s no walk in the park.
The eligibility requirements are straightforward enough, but proving that you meet them is the first of several big challenges. The documentation requirements are onerous and sometimes unpredictable, as individual caseworkers may request additional supplementary information.
The Houston Chronicle recently documented some of the hassles that Texans face with this part of the process, and it’s eye opening. (It’s important to note, though, that Medicaid is a joint state-and-federal program, so the specifics can vary a little from state to state.)
But the application and documentation are just the beginning. Then comes the waiting. Months can pass before your caseworker makes a decision — months during which you or your parent may already need to be in a nursing home, even without Medicaid footing the bill in the interim.
Even worse are the denials. Scores of Medicaid applicants wait week after week only to find their applications outright denied, almost always because of a simple mistake in the application process.
If applying weren’t so complicated in the first place, there’d be fewer denials — and thus fewer re-applications and less waiting for everyone — and yet the cycle persists.
You don’t have to fall victim to Medicaid’s mire, though. Thoroughness, coupled with experienced professional representation and an effective strategy, can make all the difference. At O’Connell Law Group, we can shoulder the bulk of the burden for you, ensuring that you and your loved one are on the right path at every step along the way.
Whether Medicaid is part of your long-term planning or you’re facing an immediate Medicaid crisis, we can help. Call us to talk with a Middlesex County elder law attorney in our office today.
