Transitioning To Medicaid With A Medicaid Specialist

Medicaid specialists help senior citizens navigate and apply for Medicaid benefits, often as a transition from Medicare which is only suitable for short-term care. An elderly person will need to have additional financial resources to supplement their health care needs. Many elderly people go through the process of applying for Medicaid benefits because they do not have enough assets to cover their medical needs.  

Medicaid benefits include a series of services including inpatient and outpatient medical services, nursing facility services and home health services, etc. Medicaid program eligibility requirements and benefits vary by state. While states are required to abide by federal mandates for Medicaid, they still administer their own Medicaid programs.

What Can a Medicaid Specialist Do?

Medicaid specialists are not attorneys, and so they cannot assist with other issues such as estate law. On the other hand, it may be cheaper to work with a Medicaid Specialist rather than with an attorney who specializes in elder law. Medicaid specialists are experts who can help with the application process for Medicaid. They can also assist with nursing home research and placement, as well as with other adult care programs. Medicaid specialists meet with individuals to provide a consultation on the application process and can even make calls to financial institutions on behalf of the clients.

Medicaid specialists are familiar with the financial and physical requirements regarding Medicaid. States have different requirements for their specific Medicaid programs. Applying for Medicaid can be a time-consuming, tedious, and complex process. Medicaid specialists will see the application through to its conclusion. Fees paid to Medicaid specialists and elder law attorneys for the purposes of transferring from Medicare to Medicaid are considered valid expenses for reducing assets to meet Medicaid eligibility requirements.

Certified Medicaid Planner (CMP)

If you are interested in working with a Medicaid specialist, you can choose to work with a Certified Medicaid Planner (CMP). A CMP has earned a certification from the CMP Board. Although certification is generally not required for Medicaid specialists, it guarantees that the person you are working with has met certain educational or experience requirements. CMP Board certified planners will have met the requirements for one of several paths, each of which ensures that the worker has a background relevant to Medicaid planning.

These paths include advanced degrees, bachelor's degrees with additional work experience, or work experience in the fields of Medicaid planning or social work equivalent to a degree. Whatever the case, using a CMP Medicaid specialist ensures that you are receiving the highest quality of assistance.