My 65 year old father has MS, metabolic syndrome and recently experienced a massive stroke. His living will has a DNR and he was admitted to a hospice care facility in Florida but he is not imminent. He has limited funds. We all live in the northeast while he is in Florida. I have been told that we need to pay down his savings then he will be able to apply for medicaid. How do I find a facility that will take him in his current state. His medicare will run out on Thursday and the current facility is $800/day. At that rate I think he could stay there for another 3 weeks. But then what do we do? HELP
Hospice services are paid for by MEDICARE. If dad was admitted to a facility, you need to ask if he can be admitted MEDICAID PENDING.
Often the social worker and/or business office can help with this.
What is the doctor's prognosis? How much recovery is expected from the stroke? At what stage is the MS? What is their overall health? All of those should be factors into life expectancy.
Sorry you're going through a rough time with Dad. Best wishes for your family
Doctors admitted him to hospice knowing that he is a medicare patient so I suspect they do not believe he will live longer than 6 months but I really have no clue and I don't think they do either. Didn't know that recertifying was a thing. The doctors said he will not recover from the stroke, full stop.He has diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol all with primary progressive MS (meaning its always advancing not remitting). He could not walk un assisted before and now is bed ridden. He says he wants to be euthanized but obviously doesn't know that is not possible. So my siblings and I are trying to figure out where to put him after his medicare runs out. Will he be able to qualify for medicaid if he gets disability/SS payments?
I am confused by your dad's status as described. You say he has been admitted "into a hospice" facility. Yet you ask about payment, telling us that he is "not imminent." By that I believe that you mean that he is not expected to die within a six month period and hence doesn't yet qualify for Hospice, but is in need of a facility for 24/7 care.
Again, I am confused that you say he is in a Hospice facility. If you can elaborate a bit I may be able to help. Hospice, under normal circumstances, is covered by Medicare. Medicaid is not needed. Often patients do not die in a 6 month period. At that time they will be reassessed by the hospice agency and see whether they can requalify or not.
In facility Hospice care is now rare in our country. But often people enter care facilities having hospice as an added on service. If your Dad is in a regular facility then he will spend down his own funds until he qualifies for help by your state's own particular rules for Medicaid. Hospice as an add on will be free.
I hope that this helps a little bit, but as I am not clear on your current circumstances with Dad, more information may allow me to help more. If there is a licensed Social Worker in the facility currently working with Dad he or she is your best resource to guide you in application for Medicaid, which you can start working on before funds run out.
I wish you the best.
Often Hospice will have a "Foundation" that can help with out of pocket expenses that are not covered by insurance (this includes Medicaid)
I think it is because we are out of state and we were contemplating moving him closer to us.
You are not responsible to pay for your Dads care.