It is not uncommon for people to confuse Medicare with Medicaid.  As a reminder, Medicare is an entitlement program that is available to everybody age 65 and older.  There are four parts to Medicare:  Part A, which covers hospital visits; Part B, which covers doctor’s visits; Part C, which is a managed care plan; and Part D, which covers prescription drugs.  You may be asking yourself which part of Medicare covers long-term health care, and the answer to this question is that it really doesn’t.

Medicare only covers the first 100 days of care in a long-term medical facility, although coverage rarely extends this long, and expensive copays are required for days 21-100.  This means that if it becomes necessary for you to obtain long-term health care, Medicare will not cover your services.  Rather, unless you have long-term care insurance, you will have to pay out-of-pocket or apply for Arizona Medicaid.

The ALTCS Medicaid application process can take several months, so the time to look into applying for Arizona Medicaid is before you actually require it.  Those who engage in ALTCS planning well before they need long-term health care can often prepare themselves to qualify for the benefit if and when they need coverage.  If you have yet to make any preparations for ALTCS Medicaid, now is the time to discuss your situation with an Elder Law attorney.