A Roommate – For Life – Not Of Your Choosing

A Roommate – For Life – Not Of Your Choosing

A Roommate – For Life – Not Of Your Choosing

Assisted living facilities are typically very nice places.  Many have pools or hot tubs, entertainment, exercise classes, and most now even feature a pub and free drinks (within limits).  You have your own “apartment” sometimes with two bedrooms, a kitchenette, bathroom and no roommate.

Until,

You run out of ability to pay and need to apply for Medicaid.  I am seeing assisted living type facilities now moving people on Medicaid into shared rooms.  Your new roommate, for life, is hopefully a good fit for you because everything is now shared.

Many other assisted living facilities do not accept Medicaid at all.  Before you can enter such a facility you must sign that when you run out of the ability to pay – you will leave.

Facilities can say no to Medicaid residents at the door.  They cannot force you to leave later unless you agreed and signed BEFORE YOU ENTERED saying you would leave when out of money.

This is unique to assisted living facilities and does not, generally, apply to nursing homes.  Most nursing homes accept Medicare’s short term recovery care patients (their bread and butter) and thus must accept Medicaid as well or they cannot get those Medicare recovery patients.  If you take one, you must take the other.  Since assisted living facilities cannot take Medicare recovery patients, they can say no to Medicaid residents.

Nursing homes can and often do move you into a shared room though when you run out of ability to pay for the care you need and apply for Medicaid.

How does one avoid this?  Simply be able to pay for the care you need when your health changes.  No, you do not need to be wealthy, just do like you’ve done all your life with your car and home, have car insurance, home insurance, and for later in life – Long Term Care insurance.

There are drivers who go without car insurance.  There are some people who go without Long Term Care insurance.  In either case, when a problem occurs and you cannot pay for what is needed, there is big trouble.  The car accident without car insurance may cause your drivers license to be suspended and you may be sued.  In Long Term Care when you can’t pay the bill, you get what you are given on Medicaid – a welfare program for the impoverished.

It’s your choice.  Why end up impoverished and dependent on government handouts when you could have purchased Long Term Care insurance and can choose where and how you are cared for.  You can afford caregivers coming into your home.  You can afford caregivers in the facility of your choosing and the “apartment” of your choice.

You cannot purchase car insurance after the accident.  You cannot purchase Long Term Care insurance once your health is such that you may need care in the future.  By age 60 nearly a third of us can no longer qualify to purchase this insurance.

At least investigate it.  And do so with someone familiar with local prices, how care is used, the local providers etc.  At www.TheLongTermCareGuy.com we have 24 years experience in the financing of Long Term Care.  Give us a call at (920) 884-3030 and let’s investigate together.

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