A lot of my Medicaid clients get confused over the date that Medicaid coverage kicks in (also known as the Medicaid "pick up date") once Medicaid eligibility has been determined by the State of Connecticut.
The short answer is that Medicaid can start as early as the first day of the month during which the Medicaid "spend-down" was completed, assuming that there are no issues with periods of ineligibility that have been triggered by gifting during the 5-year look-back period. So, if an applicant spends his/her assets down below the Medicaid asset limit ($1,600) on November 20th, then Medicaid coverage can begin retroactively on November 1st.
Why would it start later than the first of the month? Because if the spend-down included private payments to the nursing home which effectively paid for nursing home care past the first of the month, then the nursing home would not need Medicaid coverage until later in the month.
So, in the above example, let's assume that the Medicaid applicant made a partial payment to the nursing home as part of her spend-down and that payment covered her up until December 10th. In that case, the Medicaid pick-up date would be December 11th so that the payment for care would be "seamless" for the nursing home.
DISCLAIMER: This blog does not offer legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, consult with a lawyer instead of a blog.
