According to the CDC, 4.5 million Americans receive some form of in-home health care each year. These services enable patients to age in place comfortably at home, without relocating to an assisted living or long-term care facility.
While there are benefits to this approach, it’s important to understand what it entails. Specifically, you might be wondering if Medicaid can help cover the cost of in-home care. Today, we’re sharing the details that Missouri and Kansas residents can benefit from knowing.
A Look at Medicaid Coverage
Missouri Medicaid is also known as MO HealthNet and Kansas Medicaid is KanCare. There are benefits in each program that can cover in-home care for seniors, as well as disabled individuals.
If you’re a legal resident of the state who qualifies for Medicaid, then you can leverage this service to help offset the costs associated with your care. Most patients use a program offered through MO HealthNet called Consumer Direct Services (CDS).
CDS allows participants to choose their own Personal Care Attendant (PCA). Your PCA can be a friend or family member, but cannot be your spouse or legal guardian. This is an advantage over other home health providers, which do not allow patients the autonomy to choose the health aid they receive.
What Will Medicaid Cover?
In short, Medicaid will cover the cost of medical bills associated with your in-home care. In addition, the program will also pay for the cost of your caregivers. Under the CDS program, most PCAs earn around $10 per hour.
Note that you are not required to go through CDS to receive Medicaid coverage for your in-home care. However, many patients go this route because it affords them the most convenience and flexibility. It also allows their loved ones to receive compensation for the act of caregiving.
Whether you receive in-home care or not, you can still leverage your Medicaid coverage to pay for a range of medical services. These include:
- Visits to your primary care physician
- Health-related testing and treatments
- Emergency room visits
- Transportation to and from healthcare facilities
- Costs of certain medical equipment and prescriptions
Understand and Protect Your Medical Rights
It can be tricky to navigate the realm of Medicaid and in-home care. You want to make sure you’re making the best decision for yourself or your family member, but the legalese can be confusing.
At Paths Law Firm, we’re here to help. We’re experts in elder law and we can show you how to take advantage of your long-term care benefits. Contact us to connect today.
