Archive for June, 2012

1
Jun

Will Medicaid Pay for Medical Alert?

Will Medicaid pay for my medical alert system?

In many States, Medicaid will pay for a medical alert system but you must have a Medicaid Waiver. You must qualify for institutional care in order to be eligible for home based services such as a Personal Emergency Response System (PERS) services.

If you are deemed at high risk for hospitalization due to a medical need, you may qualify for a medical alert system medicaid waiver.

There are a few important things you need to be aware of if you decide to apply for a Medicaid Waiver for the use of a medical alert system.

1. You are not in control of how long you are able to keep the medical alert system. Your State’s Medicaid program is. So, if there are cutbacks in your State, you may have to give up the service after you have become reliant on it.

2. If the agencies whom care for you decide you do not need the medical alert unit, they may cancel your Medicaid Waiver and you would have to return the unit.

Typically, the cost of a medical alert system is around $30.00 a month. Give us a call at 1-800-595-0718 and we will let you know what our current discounts are. If you feel that you can’t afford a medical alert system, you may want to see if your State provides a Medicaid Waiver.

Listed below is some State specific information on how to obtain a Medicaid Waiver for your State.

Alabama

http://www.adap.net/Medicaid%20Training%2009-11/alabamamedicaidtrainingppt.pdf

Alaska

Arizona

http://www.azahcccs.gov/

Arkansas

http://www.daas.ar.gov/elder_choices.html

California

http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/publications/Documents/IHO%20Quick%20Reference%20Guide.pdf

Colorado

Connecticut