If you are getting older, you might not want to worry about having to deal with your health by yourself. You might not feel as though you are fully capable in managing your own healthcare with the same degree of rigor that you were able to when you were a bit younger. As a result, you might decide to enroll in long-term managed care. Here are some tips for doing so.
1. Figure Out When Long-Term Care Coverage Starts
If you are on Medicaid, your long-term coverage will start at a certain date, usually when you hit a certain age or when a doctor reports to Medicaid that you need this type of care. Contact your local Medicaid office to figure out when this coverage starts and to get a list of providers that are covered by this coverage. This will also allow you to pinpoint the enrollment period that you will need to hit. If your coverage starts in the middle of an enrollment period, you will likely need to make sure that you enroll by the end of that period. If it starts outside of a traditional enrollment period, you will have a certain number of days during which you will need to take action. This will vary from state to state.
2. Make a Plan
Talk to your doctor and loved ones to figure out the level of care that you are going to need. There are Medicaid choice counselors that will then help you find a provider that will be able to provide all of the necessary care.
Make sure that your current Medicaid offerings provide this minimum level of care. If they do not, you can appeal your case to get a higher level of care at a Medicaid fair hearing. Contact your local Medicaid office for more information.
3. Continue Using Existing Services
Finally, when you need long-term care, you get transferred to a Health Management Service that will help you organize this. You can use your existing medical services for sixty days after you transfer to an HMO, meaning that you can keep seeing your doctor and getting prescriptions. Your existing services end during this time only when a health care plan is developed.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in helping people figure out their long-term care management plans. This can help set both you and your loved ones at ease.
