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And with all of the headlines regarding either caregiver burnout or nursing home abuse, it is no wonder that seniors wish to remain where they are and live the remainder of their lives somewhere they are familiar with. 

But sometimes it is easier said than done, so what I want to do is bring some practicality to aging in place, and show it may be possible for seniors to do just that from a financial, safety and a support perspective. 

Note: in a lot of respects, the information to accomplish an “aging in place” philosophy I have already written about throughout this site. However, the purpose of this article will be to put all of the information in one place with links to each piece of information for easy reference. 

Financial 

Let’s face facts…for most seniors, it is the costs of living on their own in retirement that is the primary factor why they have to abandon aging in place and end up living with their adult children. They simply haven’t saved enough throughout their life in order to be able to live on their own. So let’s talk about areas of financial assistance for seniors so they can continue to live on their own if they are well enough to do so… 

In looking at the financial aspects of aging in place, I am going to divide it into three areas… 

• Assistance for homeowners
• Assistance for renters
• Assistance that is non-residence based 

Assistance For Homeowners 

If you own your home then the primary option of financial you have is through a reverse mortgage. 

A reverse mortgage is exactly what is sounds like. You receive payments from the bank and do not have to pay the proceeds of the loan back until you eventually move out of house or sell the house. 

Now, while this sounds terrific obviously it is not a good financial fit for everyone.To that end, I have put together a series of articles detailing the information in more detail, so you can have a full appreciation of what a reverse mortgage is and whether it is good for you or not… 

• How Do Reverse Mortgages Work
• Benefits of Reverse Mortgages?
• The Pros and Cons of Reverse Mortgages
• Myths and misconceptions of reverse mortgages
• Potential alternatives to reverse mortgages 

Assistance For Renters 

It is possible to receive rental assistance to age in place if you rent your home. It isn’t easy and it may take a while to apply and get approved for, but Section 8 rental assistance is available for those who need it. 

You can find out more about how to apply for rental assistance by clicking here.  

Senior Safety 

Senior cannot age in place if they are not safe, regardless of their financial condition. So to me, this comes down to a few things… 

Fall Prevention 

For those who are living on their own especially, everything possible must be done to avoid a fall and the resulting injuries that occur. So to minimize the possibility of a fall, I have a series of tips about fall prevention that you can access here.  

Safety Devices 

You could write a full book on all of the senior safety devices out there. But I have limited myself to the devices that I have actually used in helping my mother. 

And whether that is bathroom grab bars, commodes, raised toilet seats or pill crushers, the full list of devices is right here that you can access here.  

Medic Alert 

I wanted to finish up this section on safety talking referring you to information I have written about how to access a free medic alert system. 

A medic alert system allows an injured person to call for help even if they are unable to get to the phone. 

I have all of the information, plus what to look for in a medic alert company, right here… 

Other Assistance To Age in Place 

And if you are looking for any other form of assistance, from food stamps to Ombudsman services, I have put together a great list of free services that will assist you in your endeavors to age in place. You can access the free list of government resources here.  

Conclusion

Aging in place is the choice that most seniors wish to make…after all, who really wants to move in with their children, or to a nursing home. But there are some obvious hurdles to overcome in order to do this. The purpose of this article was to give you a path to clearing the financial, safety and support hurdles so that seniors can effectively age in place. 

1-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aging_in_place

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So for this very important post, I want to take you through a few points…

1) Why the US prescription medication market is safe 

2) Where The Breaks In The Supply Chain Come From…So You Can Protect Yourself 

3) The Attitude of Patients Towards Online Pharmacies 

4) Myths About Buying Medications Online 

5) Spotting Fake Drugs 

6) Buying Online Safely 

Why US Drugs Are Safe 

We have a regulated, secure, closed supply chain. Everyone from the person who manufactures the drug to the person who hands you the drug is regulated in the USA. This is done by the FDA in most instances, although there are instances when this regulation happens at the state level.

• The FDA does extensive testing of medication. Sometimes it can take years for a new drug to become available…and while that can be frustrating for patients who are waiting for new drugs to alleviate or even cure the diseases they suffer from, it is also there as protection against a drug that causes more harm than good. 

• The FDA runs an extensive pharmocovigilance program for any drugs in the USA. This is where you have an adverse side effect from a drug. The FDA collects and monitors these reports to insure that drugs are prescribed safely. 

• You also have a regulated physician and pharmacist who is involved in prescribing your drugs, the dosages and the number of times it should be administered throughout the day.

The most important part of all this is that the patient in the US is protected through a closed supply chain and vigorous regulation of your medications. 

Where The Potential Breaks In The Supply Chain

Come From

• The most likely way the supply chain is broken is by buying medications online. The patient will buy from a “Canadian Pharmacy”…although they are Canadian and aren’t pharmacies. Most of these websites do not have a license to operate in Canada as pharmacies and instead get their medications from unregulated sources in China or India. 

• These breaks can also occur buying offline from non-pharmacies 

• It is also possible for this supply chain break to come from physicians and pharmacists from unlicensed distributors.

Another Big Problem Is The Attitude of the Patient

Towards Online Pharmacies 

• It’s just like driving over the border…NO! It is illegal for a Canadian pharmacy to fill a prescription from a US physician!!! Yes, illegal!!! It’s also illegal in the UK and most other First World nations. 

• These websites that sell medications online are typically out of compliance with established practices and licensing 96% of the time!!! This statistic comes from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. They are either not in possession of the proper licensing or they are in the country they claim to be. 

• Remember, it is REALLY easy on the internet to put up a website in Bangladesh or the Philippines and say you are a Canadian pharmacy. And these websites don’t even require a VALID prescription. Remember that it is illegal for a Canadian pharmacy to fulfill a prescription by a US doctor!!! 

• And many of these so-called pharmacies are actually just trying to get your credit card number so that they can steal your identity. 

Myths About Buying Medications Online 

Myth #1: Canadian pharmacies are online drug stores based and regulated in Canada. I hope that I have de-bunked this by now but the only way to do truly do this safely is to drive across the border into Canada to a brick-and-mortar store and get your medications that way.

These in fact are just shipping companies that just set up a website and as a result are not regulated by Health Canada.

They don’t even take possession in the drugs. they send your information to the supplier of the medication…overseas in a Third World country…and that entity send you the medication.   The drugs never even enter Canada!!!!

Take a look at this press release from the FDA regarding this. 

Myth #2: You Are Protected When Buying Medications From A Canadian Pharmacy by the Canadian Version of the FDA

No!!! No medications manufactured outside the country are FDA-approved. You have no legal recourse…civilly or criminally…and the FDA will probably not be able to trace where the medications originally came from. 

Myth #3: These “Canadian Pharmacies” Are Cheaper

In actuality, you will normally…not always, but normally…find a generic version of the medication that you are looking for that is cheaper!!! And not all of these Canadian websites are price-controlled.

So this myth is a lie for two reasons…

1) You really aren’t getting Canadian medications 

2) You can get the generic version cheaper 

Myth #4: Candian Pharmacist Can Legally Fill A U.S. Prescription

Once again, I de-bunked this one earlier but wanted to repeat myself yet again.  This is one of those myths about buying medications online that persists but simply is not factual.

If you don’t believe me, drive across the border and go to a real pharmacy and see if you get your pharmacy filled. A real Canadian pharmacist would endanger his or her license and just wouldn’t take the risk. 

Myth #5: You Can Bill Insurance For Imported Drugs

Not only can you not do this, but if you try and get caught billing Medicare/Medicaid for this you could be prosecuted as this would constitute fraud. 

Spotting a Fake Drug

The problem is that spotting a fake is next to impossible to the naked eye. If you were to compare a fake  Lipitor pill with an authentic it is impossible merely by looking at it. You would need to take it to a lab and  have it tested in order to determine the truth. 

Buying Online Safely

Now, after I have completely scared you, is there a way to buy medications online safely? The answer is yes.

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (N.A.B.P.)has the VIPPS accreditation program.  VIPPS stands for the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites.  these are websites that have been checked, researched and certified by the NABP to make sure that the medications that are provided by these websites meet FDA standards.

Make sure to look for the VIPPS logo…and you can also check the VIPPS website for a list of approved online pharmacies.

One of these suppliers is Wal-Mart, which was listed in a recent Consumer Reports article as one of the  cheaper places where seniors can get their prescription medications…and these medications can be purchased online safely.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to enter them below…

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But caregivers and seniors can commit Medicaid fraud as well.

Good Medicaid planning does not involve relying on hiding assets or any other illegal means.

When you fill out the Medicaid application, this is not the time to suffer from case of “selected amnesia” and forget to list certain assets that you own or neglecting to list certain gifts to relatives that you have made.

This is called Medicaid fraud and anyone who is convicted…

1) Is libel to the government for damages of up to 2-3 times the amount of the benefits fraudulently received.

2) Penalties ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 for each false claim that is submitted.

3) Has to reimburse the government for the costs associated with bringing the legal action against them.

4) Can spend up to one year in jail for each false claim submitted.

5) Can be barred from receiving Medicaid for up to line year.

And these are just the Federal penalties for Medicaid fraud. You also have to deal with the statutes of the state you will in…PLUS anyone who files suit against you on behalf of the government for Medicaid fraud is entitled to a reward of 15%-30% of the penalties that are eventually imposed on you.

This means that your neighbors and relatives are turned into whistle blowers for the government.

So regardless of what you think you can get away with…its not worth it. My mother currently is receiving a $14,000 a month benefit as a nursing home resident. And I could not imagine the horror of having to pay that back or pay fines associated with that.

And I also understand it can be tempting. The process that the government makes you go through to qualify is so arduous it is natural to want to cut a few corners. But the penalties are way too severe for you to reasonably consider it.

Medicaid fraud just isn’t worth it for caregivers.

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That’s what happened with me.After my mother’s heart attack when I had to apply for Medicaid for her, I realized how unprepared I was.  So for this article about Medicaid planning, I am going to focus on two aspects… 

• How caregivers can prepare for the inevitable Medicaid application 
• Resources that are available to assist caregivers in the application process

Information You Will Need 

The list of paperwork you will need to apply for Medicaid is loooooooong…I have thee complete list on my “How To Apply For Medicaid” page so there is no reason to re-list it here, but when you see it, you will get the point.  The government is going to want every single piece of information relating to the financial life of the applicant…and want that information for a 5-year look back period. 

Here, you can see my mother’s pile of information.  That is the result of 4 months of work where I had to put my life on hold and simply do the Medicaid planning and the Medicaid application process.  It isn’t easy…and I understand why. 

My mother’s nursing home costs $14,000 a MONTH!!!  Yes, a MONTH.  So I understand that the government wants to make sure that she is not independently wealthy and hiding the money to avoid paying for the nursing home herself. 

But the amount of paperwork required and the time it takes to compile it will definitely be a problem for you.

So the one bit of advice I can give you…before you have to start the process if possible…is to work with your parents and start to compile this information now.  At the very least, know where they keep everything and understand how you can get access to the information in the event of an emergency. 

You should also have certain documents notarized by your parents that will assist you in the Medicaid planning process… 

• A power of attorney
• A health care proxy
• A living will 

These documents will allow you to act on your parents behalf in the event you need to. 

Resources You Will Need 

Most of all, you will need information. There will be a thousand questions you have, and while the social workers at my mother’s nursing home were terrific I still felt like I was groping around in the dark.  So of course I took to the internet and started to read up all the information I could on Medicare, Medicaid, caregiving, checking out nursing homes, etc… 

[Note: This is ultimately the reason I created this website...to put all of this information in one place]

And as I searched I came across one resource for caregivers that I felt was invaluable. 

It is not often that I will recommend a product or information but for all of those who are either going through the Medicaid planning process or are actually starting to apply for Medicaid, a MUST HAVE resource in my opinion is Gabriel Heiser’s “Medicaid Secrets: How To Protect Your Family’s Assets From Devastating Nursing Home Costs“.

Since my mother’s heart attack last January, I have devoured tons of information about Medicaid and government assistance.  And I have to say that of all of the books and articles I have read, nothing comes close to what you will learn in this book….that’s my copy you see on the right. 

As Mr. Heiser points out in the introduction, this book should be used as an “idea book” in conjunction with a qualified elder law attorney.  This is because Medicaid is a joint Federal/State program…and this means that there are 50 different sets of rules governing certain circumstances. 

So while all the strategies outlined in the book are legal, not all of them will work in your state.  However, in reading the book there are enough variations to how you can legally structure your assets or your parents assets so that you can protect them. 

Here are some of the things that you will learn in Medicaid Secrets… 

• What is covered by Medicaid? (page 11) 
• When to apply for benefits? (page 17) 
• How to get retroactive benefits? (page 19) 
• Income qualification rules (page 27) 
• What assets are counted and what assets are excluded (page 40) 
• How to legally exclude your home from Medicaid (page 41) 
• How to legally transfer assets to reduce your asset levels (page 59) 
• The power of irrevocable trusts when it comes to Medicaid (page 72) 
• How to legally spend down assets (page 90) 
• Planning ideas for the home (page 119) 
• Legally using promissory notes to reduce your assets to qualify for Medicaid (page 159)

Get the idea?  This book is a must have for any caregiver thrust into the role of having to apply for Medicaid for their family.

Of course there are other resources that helped me…one book that I loved is “ElderCare For Dummies” and it covers a wide range of topics for caregivers, but Heiser’s book really covers the Medicaid planning process from soup to nuts. 

So take the time to read that book and you will be able to talk intelligently to the elder law attorney (actually the last section of the book tells you how to find the right elder law attorney for you) so that the two of you can work together to protect your family’s assets.

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And as one of my newsletter subscribers found out when she took my advice (see Sarah’s comment on my free dentures page) contacting your state dental association is one way that you can get help.

So that is the reason for the list.

One other thing. Sometimes this information can change with time. If you find that any of this information becomes outdated please contact me and I will correct it…thank you. 

Alabama Dental Association

836 Washington Ave.

Montgomery, AL 36104

Phone: 334.265.1684

Fax: 334.262.6218

judkins@aldaonline.org

Alaska Dental Society

9170 Jewel Lake Rd. #100

Anchorage, AK 99502

Phone: (907) 563-3003

Fax: (907) 563-3009

info@akdental.org

Arizona State Dental Association

3193 N Drinkwater Blvd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

(480) 344-5777

http://www.azda.org/

Arkansas State Dental Association

7480 Hwy 107

Sherwood, AR 72120

Phone: (800) 501-2732 or (501) 834-7650

Fax: (501) 834-765

http://arkansasdentistry.org/index.php/contact-us/

California Dental Association

800.CDA.SMILE

800.232.7645

916.443.0505

contactcda@cda.org

1201 K Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

Colorado Dental Association

3690 South Yosemite Street

Suite 100

Denver, CO 80237-1808

Phone: 303-740-6900

Fax: 303-740-7989

E-mail: info@cdaonline.org

Connecticut State Dental Association

835 West Queen Street

Southington, CT 06489

Tel: (860) 378-1800

Fax:(860) 378-1807

http://www.csda.com/contactus/contactus.html

Delaware State Dental Society

200 Continental Drive

Suite 111

Newark, DE 19713

302-368-7634

http://www.delawarestatedentalsociety.org/contactus.html

Florida Dental Association

850.681.3629

fda@floridadental.org

Georgia Dental Association

7000 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd NE

Suite 200, Building 17

Atlanta, GA 30328-1655

Toll Free: 800-432-4357

In State: 404-636-7553

Fax: 404-633-3943

http://www.gadental.org/

Hawaii Dental Association

1345 S. Beretania Street

Honolulu, HI 96814

Phone: 808/593-7956

Fax: 808/593-7636

hda@hawaiidentalassociation.net

Idaho Dental Association

(208) 343-7543

Info@TheISDA.org

Kansas Dental Association

5200 SW Huntoon

Topeka, KS  66611

http://www.ksdental.org/about-the-kda/

Kentucky Dental Association

1920 Nelson Miller Parkway

Louisville, KY 40223-2164

Phone: (502) 489-9121

Fax: (502) 489-9124

Toll Free: (800) 292-1855 (KY Only)

http://www.kyda.org/contact.html

Louisiana Dental Association

7833 Office Park Blvd. 

Baton Rouge, La 70809

info@ladental.org

225-926-1986

800-388-6642

Maine Dental Assoc.

29 Association Dr.

PO Box 215, Manchester, ME 04351

P:207-622-7900 F:207-622-6210

http://www.dentalaccessformaine.org/

Maryland Dental Association

6410 Suite F Dobbin Road

Columbia, MD 21045

Phone: 410-964-2880

Fax: 410-964-0583

mddent@msda.com

Massachusetts Dental Society

Two Willow Street

Suite 200

Southborough, MA 01745

(800) 342-8747

(508) 480-0002 fax

http://www.massdental.org/about-us.aspx

Michigan Dental Association

Public Relations Department

3657 Okemos Road., Ste. 200

Okemos, MI 48864

Ph: 800-589-2632

Ph: 517-372-9070

Fax: 517-372-0008

http://www.smilemichigan.com/Contact.aspx

Minnesota Dental Association

1335 Industrial Boulevard

Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN  55413-4801

612-767-8400

800-950-3368

612-767-8500

info@mndental.org

Mississippi Dental Association

439 B Katherine Drive

Flowood, MS 39232

(601) 664-9691

(601) 664-9796

office@msdental.org

Missouri State Dental Association

3340 American Ave

Jefferson City MO 65109

Phone 573-634-3436 | Fax 573-635-0764

http://www.modental.org/mx/hm.asp?id=Contact

Montana Dental Association

MDA, P.O. Box 1154, Helena, Montana 59624

800-257-4988

406-443-1546

info@montanadental.org

Nebraska Dental Association

7160 South 29th Street

Ste.1

Lincoln, NE 68516

http://www.nedental.org/about_us/contact_us.html

Nevada Dental Association

8863 W. Flamingo Rd., Suite 102

Las Vegas, NV 89147-8718

800-962-6710

(702) 255-4211

Fax: (702) 255-3302

http://www.nvda.org/contact.shtml

New Hampshire Dental Society

23 South State St.

Concord NH 03301

Ph. (603) 225-5961

Fx. (603) 226-4880

http://www.nhds.org/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=3&Itemid=82

New Jersey State Dental Association

One Dental Plaza

P.O. Box 6020

North Brunswick, NJ 08902-6020

Phone: (732) 821-9400

info@njda.org

Fax: (732) 821-1082

New Mexico State Dental Association

9201 Montgomery Blvd NE

Suite 601

Albuquerque, NM  87111

Ph: 505-294-1368    

Fax: 505-294-9958

http://www.nmdental.org/contact-us/

New York Dental Association

20 Corporate Woods Blvd.

Suite #602

Albany NY 12211

518.465-0044

518.465-3219

info@nysdental.org

North Carolina Dental Association

1600 Evans Road

Cary, N.C. 27513

(919) 677-1396

(919) 677-1397

http://www.ncdental.org/ncds/NCDS_Staff.asp

North Dakota Dental Association

115 N 4th St # 2

Bismarck, ND 58501

(701) 223-8870

http://www.nddental.com/?id=8

Ohio Dental Association

1370 Dublin Road

Columbus, Ohio 43215

(614) 486-2700

dentist@oda.org

Oklahoma Dental Association

317 NE 13th St,

Oklahoma City, OK 73104

(405) 848-8873

information@okda.org

Oregon Dental Association

Post Office Box 3710

Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-3710

503.218.2010

503.218.2009 Fax

http://www.oregondental.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3863

Pennsylvania Dental Association

3501 North Front Street

P.O. Box 3341

Harrisburg, PA 17105

Phone: (717) 234-5941

Fax: (717) 234-2186

http://www.padental.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Contact_Us

Rhode Island Dental Association (RIDA)

875 Centerville Commons, Bldg. 4, Suite 12

Warwick, RI 02886

(401) 825-7700

(401) 825-7722 fax

melanie@ridental.com

http://www.ridental.com

South Carolina Dental Association

120 Stonemark Lane Columbia, SC 29210

Phone: 803-750-2277 or toll free in SC 800-327-2598

Fax: 803-750-1644

http://www.scda.org/displaystaff.cfm

South Dakota Dental Association

PO Box 1194

804 N Euclid Ave, Ste 103

Pierre, South Dakota – 57501

http://www.sddental.org/communications_contactus.htm

Tennessee Dental Association

660 Bakers Bridge Ave., Suite 300

Franklin, TN 37067

Phone: (615) 628-0208

Fax: (615) 628-0214

tda@tenndental.org

Texas Dental Association

TDA Building

1946 S IH 35, Suite 400

Austin, Texas 78704

Phone (512) 443-3675

FAX (512) 443-3031

http://www.tda.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=12

Utah Dental Association

1151 East 3900 South Ste 160

Salt Lake City, UT 84124-1255

Phone: 801-261-5315

Fax: 801-261-1235

Email: uda@uda.org

Vermont State Dental Society

1 Kennedy Drive, Suite L-3

South Burlington, VT 05403

phone: 802-864-0115

fax: 802-864-0116

http://www.vsds.org/gen_contact_us/index.aspx

Virginia Dental Association

3460 Mayland Ct, Ste 110

Henrico, VA 23233

(804) 288-5750

info@vadental.org

Washington State Dental Association

126 NW Canal St

Seattle, WA 98107

Phone: 206.448-1914 or 800.448.3368

Fax: 206.443.9266

Email: info@wsda.org

West Virginia Dental Association

2016 1/2 Kanawha Blvd.

East, Charleston

WV 25311

(304) 344-5246

wvrds@aol.com

Wisconsin Dental Association

Executive Office

West Allis

Phone: 414-276-4520

Fax: 414-276-8431

http://www.wda.org/contact

Wyoming Dental Association

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And while many things dealing with the government can be complex, this really isn’t. So what I am going to do is lay out the basic premise of how the trust works so that you will have an understanding of how to still qualify for Medicaid with “excess income”.

Note: despite the fact that the Supplemental Needs Trust is not that complex, there are certain rules that must be followed in order for you to qualify for Medicaid using this process. For that reason, a caregiver is advised to follow the advice of an elder care lawyer or social worker well versed in establishing trusts so that all of the rules are being followed.

And because Medicaid is a joint Federal/State program, these rules can vary from state-to-state, making it even more important for you to seek out competent advice.

As many people who have gone through the experience realize, a problem arises if you earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid, but don’t make enough for you to pay the nursing home costs. These costs vary by location, but have been known to reach as high as $14,000 a month.

So what do you do if you make “too much” to quality for Medicaid? The answer is the Supplemental Needs Trust.

The way the trust works is that instead of the individual looking to apply for Medicaid receiving the income, the income is paid to the trust. The trust will then take the income and pay it to the nursing home each month. A family member (perhaps one that already exercises Power of Attorney over the applying individual’s finances) can administer the trust and make the payments to the nursing home in order to keep costs relatively low.

As long as you follow some simple rules to get through the process (and those will vary from state-to-state making the advice of an elder care lawyer or social worker vital in this process) the excess income will not sleep you from being accepted by Medicaid.

The only thing that would keep you from being approved for Medicaid would be if your income exceeds the amount that Medicaid would pay for the nursing home. But if you can pay $14,000 for a nursing home out of your own pocket you shouldn’t be applying for Medicaid in the first place.

All in all, this is a valuable tip and the Supplemental Needs Trust will certainly help those who were not initially able to qualify for Medicaid.

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It’s a reasonable question to ask. After all, if the rest of us have to pay our bills, pay our debts and save for our own retirement, then why should we be footing the bill for others who can’t?

Now there are a whole host of pundits, on both sides of the aisle, who give their opinions on the subject.

Those who are approaching the subject from the left will point out that the safety net exists for those who fall between the cracks of our society and that “bad things sometimes happen to good people”.

They are correct.

And those on the right will point out to the inevitable abuses in the system, where taxpayer money is wasted on those who either don’t need the resources or act in an unethical or criminal way to receive government assistance.

They too are correct.

So then how should we look at government assistance in general? My take is only one of millions, but I will tell you how I feel about the subject.

I believe that it is ethical for those who need assistance, either because of a life circumstance or natural disaster, to seek out government assistance. But I would also add two caveats to that statement.

Caveat #1: Government assistance is ethical so long as you do not lie or commit fraud in order to receive the assistance. There are WAY TOO MANY people who do this.

As an example, I just had the experience of going through the Medicaid application for my mother after her heart attack necessitated her needing 24/7 care and becoming a nursing home resident. And I can tell you that it was an absolute nightmare compiling all of the information that was required for her to be accepted by Medicaid.

The entire situation was a nightmare which caused me to have to put the rest of my life on hold for about 6 months. So I can totally understand the situation and the state of anxiety when it comes to applying for government assistance. But under no circumstance would I lie or would I recommend it to anyone.

That is Medicaid fraud and amounts to nothing more than stealing from the government and from those who truly need the assistance, to say nothing of the potential jail time and fines involved.

And this applies to any program the government offers as well.

Caveat #2: Those who are applying realize that government assistance is a TEMPORARY measure. It is NOT meant as a permanent solution to your problem.

The United States has a “safety net” society. That safety net exists for those who need TEMPORARY help.

And because bad things sometimes happen to good people, whether that be a layoff, medical situation, the occurrence of a natural disaster, divorce, etc…there are times that people do legitimately need help. And they should have no problems seeking out the help they need from a moral or ethical issue.

But at the same time they seeking the help from society, they too have an obligation to society to take the necessary steps for them to recover from their situation so that they no longer need this assistance.

This recovery isn’t going to happen overnight, but after a reasonable period of time, I personally think something in the area of around 5 years, the beneficiary of government assistance should have reached the point where they no longer need the help.

Some would argue that 5 years is way too long…stating that in is within the power of people to lift themselves up, get an education, get another job, start a business, etc…well within the 5 year time frame I am talking about.

They are correct.

And others would point out that certain people, those with serious injuries such as quadriplegics after a car accident or the elderly who require nursing home or hospice care, may need this assistance for longer than 5 years.

They, too, are correct.

You see, I chose 5 years in this example as a baseline from which the average person receiving government assistance should be able to recover and get on their feet. There are examples, on both sides of the argument, for the extreme cases where help is needed for a more extended period of time and also for those who should be able to bounce back quicker and get off of government assistance.

What’s your take on the ethical merits of government assistance? I would appreciate your comments below.

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I am going to take you through the steps to find a local doctor that does take Medicaid, and also some of the challenges that the recent passage of the health care law.

How To Find Doctors

That Accept Medicaid

Not all doctors do but you can start your search by doing a search of your states Department of Health, which normally keeps listing of doctors and dentists that accept Medicaid.

For my home state of NY, you can take a look at the list of dentists accepting Medicaid by clicking here.

The surprising thing is that while it was easy to find a listing of dentists, I could find a listing online of doctors that accept Medicaid (more on why that might be below).

So instead on an online listing the next best thing would be for you to call your state health department and ask them if they maintain a list or a database of doctors and dentists that accept Medicaid.

To get a listing of the contact information, I found a list of all 50 states Department of Health contact info here for you.  You can view it by clicking here.

In addition to the state office, you might want to try your local Department of Social Services or your local Office of the Aging if you are a senior citizen. They may keep a local database of this type of information.

Charities

I would also seek out charities or public clinics if you cannot find a local doctor that takes Medicaid. The first charity I thought of was Catholic Charities, and they are accessible throughout the USA at http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/.

Contact them and see if they can offer assistance.

As far as seeking out a public clinic, I found a nationwide database of clinics maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services which gives the contact information for local clinics in your area.  Click here to access a local public health clinic.

Why Some Doctors Are Not Taking Medicaid

While researching this article, as I know that this topic will be of interest to seniors and their caregivers, I came across some disturbing information about the future of medical professionals willing to take Medicaid and the newly passed health care law.

According to a recent Washington Post article, about 1-in-3 doctors will no longer accept Medicaid as a result of changes in the nation’s health care system.

The findings of the article state that on a state-by-state basis (because states have flexibility over how much they pay doctors for Medicaid treatment) doctors in certain states, such as New York and New Jersey, are less likely to accept Medicaid than doctors from states like Alaska and Wyoming where Medicaid reimbursements are higher.

What it means is simple…as states deal with budget crunches, more and more doctors could opt out of accepting Medicaid. And that could be very bad for seniors.

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