Decision about TennCare Choices Program

Lp57$

Good Morning!  I am needing some advice... I don't writing in the forum much, but I do read all of your great comments and advice you help everyone with.  This is the situation. Everything is looking good for us to receive this program... My questions, they are wanting us spend down about 23,000...  I am worried that something will come up and my DH will be turned down, and if he is, I will never be able to make that money back..  I took early retirement to take care of him, and I am going to need the help especially when it gets really bad.  My questions, has anyone else experienced any issues with this Medicaid Choices Program?  Thank you! LP

Crushed

YOU need to talk to an elder lawyer YESTERDAY  people who woul not dream of cutting their own hair think they can do their own legal work.  This is a legal question

Lp57$

Crushed I have already done that.. She as told me what I need to know... I guess let me rephrase the question.. Has anyone ever been turned down after they have meet the financial obligation, like I said I can't make this money back, so that is my big concern..

Sorry, DH got me up at 2:50 am this morning, so I have been up ever since... Sorry for the miss-communication

Thank you!.

Jo C.

Hello LP, I am sorry for what is happening can well imagine the stress you are feeling.  You are young and have many years ahead of you.  Crushed is correct; you really need to speak to an Elder Law Attorney asap before signing up for anything.

A specialist in Elder Law will have all the bits and pieces of detailed knowledge that you will need to put you in the best position possible for your own protection while providing for your husband's needs.  Parkinson's dementia is complex and difficult to deal with for many; it really takes a good dementia specialist to put together plans of care for the challenges as they arise.

You are wise in questioning what to do at this point.  Even though you took early retirement and plan on caring for your husband yourself; we never know what the future will bring and protecting yourself for all possibilities is very important; the Elder Law Attorney will be able to do this for you to cover multiple eventualities. 

Let us know how you are doing, we will be thinking of you and we truly do care.

J.

ElCy

Double check  with your lawyer but I believe you have 1 month to spend down AFTER he’s been accepted.

Jo C.

Just me again, LP; you did not ask for this, but I recently put together some information regarding Parkinson's Dementia for another Member, and thought  I would post this here for you if it may be helpful for either yourself or another Member who may be dealing with Parkinson's Dementia:

 Here are a couple of links re Parkinsons Dementia; the one from UC San Francisco has multiple very useful links that may be able to provide some good groundwork knowledge for you to get started on insight of what may be transpiring.

https://memory.ucsf.edu/dementia/parkinsons/parkinson-disease-dementia

UCSF has an excellent reputation for their dementia clinic; they are renowned for their work and patient management.

The Alz's Assn also has  a writing re Parkinson's Dementia:

https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-dementia/types-of-dementia/parkinson-s-disease-dementia

There is a support organization dedicated to just this type of dementia, it is the Lewy Bodies Assn and can be reached at: https://www.lbda.org/

J.

Cynbar

It sounds like you submitted the paperwork to apply, and the determination was that you will need to spend $23,000 to get down to the asset limit. If that is the case, you don't have to worry about not qualifying once that money is spent in an approved manner. You do need an attorney's help with this (a certified elder law attorney) to make sure you don't make any mistakes in how you spend down the money, which could disqualify you. That is the biggest concern at this point. Also, how close are you to needing a lot of help or placement? There is really no need to spend the money way in advance, if you are mostly worried about when things get worse. Sometimes something else medical comes up, not all patients with dementia or Parkinson's go to the end, and some are easier than others to care for. But this is all meant as just general information --- please do consult that attorney!

Lp57$

Jo C thank you for the links to the websites you posted.. It seems like I have looked at every website there is.

Like I told Crush, I have already spoken with an elder care lawyer, her biggest concern was that they will get the house... I have found out about that from Choices and If I was to die before my DH, they would continue to take care of him at home, but they would receive the house after he dies.  I have spoken to my son about this and we are both fine with this.  My son and his wife are young and I would not want to burden them and neither would my DH.  Choices has told me that if he dies first, I would not owe TennCare a thing..  

EICy - you are right, I have until 11/20 to spend down.

Cynbar-Thank you for the information... You are right, things are not bad a lot of the times with the exception when he gets really confused and I feel like I need someone there.. I guess I worry to much, but at the same time I am just trying to prepare for the future whatever that might be..

Thanks so much for ya's help1

dayn2nite2

You can try looking at this another way.

If you DON'T spend down, there is a 100% certainty you will not get the help you need.

Does that make the decision easier?

Crushed

Did you already pay off all mortgage fix everything on the house and and buy a decent vehicle ?  That is usually the first advice (new roof and hvac are very common

good elder lawyers advise on the spend down