Michigan Medicaid Waiver Program

[romeroom]

The Michigan Medicaid Waiver Program is designed to render Medicaid eligibility for elderly in need of home support to keep them out of a nursing home.

My mom is one of those that needs skilled nursing care to stay at home. My dad is doing his best to care for her, but is growing tired quickly. We signed up my mom for the waiver program, but there is a 1 year waiting list. Some people have told me she can be moved up the list if she is "nursing home" ready, which she is. Others at the local agencies have denied this notion.

It would seem to be an advantage to fund home care support services, then the cost of putting my mom in a nursing home.

Any suggestions on what I could do?

[K. Gabriel Heiser]

Hi: One of my co-authors is in Michigan, Todd Schmitz (see his photo on the home page of this forum; he can be reached here: todd@mymedicaid.com) said this:
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It depends on where you are located. But in Macomb and Oakland Counties there are two agencies that administer the waiver program: Area Agency on Aging and Macomb Oakland Regional Center. It's worth getting on the waiver list in both places, if you can. It's also important that the agency(ies) have in writing that she is in a nursing home now and could leave with the waiver.

However, if she is on the list, and if they have the facts, then there is little more to be done regarding moving up the waiver list (to my knowledge.)

Is she on Medicaid in the nursing home? If not, that is something with which we could assist.

While it is true that in some cases home care can be less costly than nursing home care, it is also true most of the time that large blocks of care are less costly if provided in a nursing home setting where there are economies of scale. In the cases where home care is less expensive, it may still not make financial sense for the government to increase the waiver slots available because there would be many more people who would apply for the waiver than who might otherwise apply for nursing home Medicaid benefits. The huge increase in case volume would likely more than offset any per case decrease in cost.

I hope this is helpful to you!
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Thanks, Todd!

[romeroom]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.