What Benefits do you qualify for?
By jana on Feb 11, 2008 in LTC Benefits
A colleague of mine brought an article to my attention that came out of the USA Today Weekend Edition. It was a great little column from MoneySmart titled: Are your parent due more benefits?
The article points to two websites that will help you figure out whether or not your elderly parents are entitled to government and private benefits of which you may not be aware. One link takes you to the National Council on Ageing Website which has four surveys you can take to find additional benefits. The surveys take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to fill out. At the end of each survey, the site gives you a personalized report with programs, telephone numbers and instructions for everything for which you qualify.
I went ahead and took their comprehensive survey and didn’t qualify for much, but they did give me the scoop on a National Park Passport on which I that I can get a discount on. The interesting part is that at the very bottom of my results, there was this disclaimer reminding us that there is a disparity in Medicaid depending on where you live:
“FOR THOSE NEEDING LONG-TERM CARE:
If you need financial assistance to pay for long-term care, either at home, in a residential care/assisted living setting or in a nursing home, several options may be available in addition to those identified in this screening program. You might be eligible for an income supplement through your state social services or human services agency. Or you might be eligible for Medicaid to pay for nursing home care. Although the program you have just used screens you for eligibility for Medicaid long-term care coverage, your state’s rules may be more generous than those of this screen. Go to http://www.nasmd.org/links/state_medicaid_links.asp for information on how to contact your state Medicaid agency. Also, if you have given away any assets, including cash, for less than fair value, in the past three years, you should seek legal assistance before applying for long-term care benefits. Contact your local bar association and ask for an attorney who specializes in Medicaid or medical assistance.”
The other recommended website is GovBenefits.gov, which is “the official benefits website of the U.S. government, with information on over 1,000 benefit and assistance programs.” I went through their survey, which had roughly the same questions as the NCOA survey but this one had more questions on education and child care. It did spit out more programs for me than the NCOA website and since each website has a slightly different focus, it makes sense to go to both.
By the way, these sites are good for more than just seniors…students, parents of children and property owners should all check out the GovBenefits.gov site!
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