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Elder CareTips:
Mastering The Eldercare Maze™
September 15, 2004
Special Low Income
Medicare Programs
Save Seniors Money
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With the breathtaking news that Medicare
premiums will rise 17% next year, I thought it might
be helpful to review the programs that do exist to help low
income elders with their Medicare premiums and
co-pays. These programs aren't well known, and many
people who are eligible never apply. Maybe there will
be something here that will help you or your elder:
The "Qualified Medicare
Beneficiary" Program (QMB)
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QMB will pay the Medicare Part A monthly
premium (if applicable - not everyone has to pay this), the
Medicare Part B Premium, the Part B annual deductible, and
the co-insurance and deductible amounts for services under A
and B. To receive co-insurance benefits, your doctor must be
certified as a Medicaid provider and accept QMB. Many
physicians will accept QMB even if they don't regularly
accept
Medicaid patients, so check.
QMB will not pay Medigap premiums, but if the individual has
QMB, you may not need a Medigap policy unless it includes
good pharmacy benefits.
Eligibility: The individual must be eligible for Medicare
Part A (even if not currently enrolled). The individual's
monthly income must be at or below 100% of the annual
federal poverty level (this changes every year - see the
numbers for this year . Personal assets, including cash,
bank accounts and investments may not exceed $4,000 for an
individual and $6,000 for a married couple. The value
of the home isn't counted.
"Specified Low Income Medicare
Beneficiary"
Program (SLMB)
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SLMB will pay the individual's Medicare Part
B monthly premium. No other benefits are included. However,
benefits could be retroactive up to 3 months prior to the
application.
To qualify for SLMB the individual must be eligible for
Medicare Part A (even if not enrolled).
The individual's monthly income must be between 100% and
120% of the
annual federal poverty level . Personal asset allowances
are the same as for QMB.
You can request an application from your
local State Department of Human Services/Department of
Social Services (look in the Blue Government Pages - usually
located in the front of the white pages of your telephone
book for your local office). Eligibility begins on the first
day of the month after the month when your local DHS/DSS has
all the information and verification necessary to determine
eligibility. This usually won't be more than 45 days from
the time you send in your
completed application.
This all sounds pretty confusing, I know. If you think your
elder (or you) might be eligible for QMB or SLMB, don't
hesitate to call your local office and ask for the
application. You're no worse off if you don't qualify, but
you might be successful. The QMB program, especially, can
save you a bundle of money that your elder doesn't have if
he or she qualifies. What do you have to lose?
| A man 90 years old was asked
to what he attributed his
longevity. "I reckon," he said, with a twinkle in his
eye, "it's because most nights I went to bed and slept
when I should have sat up and worried."
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Did you know that, if you or someone you know
uses adaptive equipment in a vehicle there are manufacturer
rebates up to $1,000 for installing, or re-installing, this
kind of equipment in a new car? If you're shopping for a
vehicle, purchase or lease,
here
are some programs you need to know about before you seal
the deal
| If everything seems under
control, you're just not going fast enough.
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Elder CareTip:
Color in the Bathroom |
Whether it's white, pink, beige, yellow or
grey, a bathroom where everything is the same color can be a
problem for people with poor vision or confusion. Try using
a rubber bath or shower mat that's a bright contrasting
color so it's obvious where the bottom of the tub/shower is.
And install a bright, contrasting toilet seat, too. It's ever
so much easier to see.
Don't forget the night light. It should be on all the time -
ever close the door in a strange bathroom and then have to
open it again to find the light switch?
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