You and your spouse may have been married for decades in Coral Springs and have seen good times as well as bad times. Sometimes if your spouse develops a serious illness, so you do all you can to care for them at home. However, eventually this caretaking becomes too much and you reach a breaking point where you realize your spouse needs more care than what you can provide. At this point you need to know what options for affordable long-term care are available to you. There are a variety of government programs that can help you pay for the care of a loved one.
Medicare
Medicare is a type of federal government health insurance that can help pay for certain medical expenses for those age 65 and up as well as those in late-stage kidney failure. Unfortunately, it does not cover in-home care, nursing home stays or long-term care. Medicare Part A covers hospital expenses after you meet your deductible. It also pays for short stays in a nursing home and for hospice care in the last six months of life. Medicare Part B pays for medical appointments, outpatient care and other services not covered by Medicare Part A as well as flu shots and diabetes screening. Medicare Part D can be used to pay for prescriptions.
Medicaid
Medicaid is a program available to low-income people. It can cover the cost of medical treatments and certain long-term care expenses for those who are eligible. Medicaid eligibility is determined based on a person’s income, assets and disability, but generally can be used to pay for nursing home care.
Social Security disability income
Social Security disability income (SSDI) is applicable to those under age 65 who, per the Social Security Administration (SSA) are deemed disabled. To qualify for SSDI a person must be unable to perform any substantial gainful activity and their condition must a minimum of one year or be terminable.
Learn more about affording long-term care
There are a variety of government programs that can help you afford long term care as well as some private programs. There is no reason why you have to try to handle these expenses out of your own pocketbook if you qualify for benefits. This post is for educational purposes only and does not contain legal advice. Our firm’s webpage on long-term care may be a useful resource for those who need more information on this topic.
