If a person is in a nursing home and applies for Medicaid while in there and then decides to move to a different facility, can they do that?

I moved my on Medicaid mom from NH#1 to NH#2. It is pretty straightforward IF you do some planning even if the move is not under good terms with the NH.

Here's my thoughts based on my experience: If your mom is currently at #1 as "Medicaid Pending", I'd wait till she is totally eligible and on Medicaid and has gotten her eligibility letter from the state. And wait till Medicaid has paid NH#1 back to day 1 of her Medicaid application & that mom (or you as her DPOA) have paid mom's required co-pay or her SOC (share of cost in Medicaid speak) to the penny of what is due every month. So that the day mom moves out, she has a clean & clear zero balance for any of mom's co-pay.

For my mom, she continued to keep control of her SS and pension, so all her monthly income went direct deposit to her checking account of which i was a signature on; & so each mo I paid her copay to the penny of what was required by Medicaid. Often the NH will press upon family to make them (the NH) as the payee of their income. If your mom has done this (made NH the payee), you need to get it changed back to her and her bank account. If this is your situation post an update as to this and I have a suggestion how to make this kinda easier. Also if mom has a personal needs trust account at the NH, you need to do whatever to zero that out before the move.

For us, I was waiting for mom's account to be all balanced and correctly credited to move her as NH#1 was a total wreck for billing and the care situation had dramatically changed downward from the NH I toured initially. Month before the move I found the new NH and did the admissions paperwork with them and was waiting for a available bed. They can go on-line to State Medicaid to see the status on your parents eligibility. If they are on Medicaid, it is considered a lateral transfer and you should not have to do a 30 day notice or pay for the balance of the month.

Now for my mom, NH #2 sent over a medical evaluation team (RN & SW) to make sure they could provide the level of care mom needed about a week after application was done. You as DPOA & POA have to sign off paperwork to allow this with the new NH. The old NH can get huffy about this but cannot stop them. They called me the morning of the trip and then called me from mom's bedside to let me know all was OK for level of care provided. Admissions at new NH then called me to say there was likely 2 or 3 beds to be open within 2 weeks. New NH held a bed for my mom and she moved in about 2 1/2 weeks later.

My mom's SS and pension paid on 3rd & 4th, so mom moved a couple of days later. This was important as both old NH & new NH MUST be paid the precise to the penny co pay for each day they are at each NH for that month. Otherwise you run the risk of a Medicaid suspension of eligibility notice.

One item I was unaware of was the situation with medications. The new NH told me to be sure to get all of mom's Rx's as they are in 30/60/90 day packs and Medicare & Medicaid will NOT pay for a second set. This could be frightfully expensive private pay if your parents is on really expensive Rx's & don't get their meds. They will be in a locked closet or drug cart in the nurses station.

The new NH let me go and set up my mom's room the afternoon before; everything set up, TV, curtains, drawers filled, pictures up. So the morning of the move, mom got dressed & had breakfast at old NH, I packed up the last little things, got her meds and got her out of there and to the new NH before 10 AM. The floor RN came to mom's room and did a mini exam & some sort of intake form for her medications. The time is kinda important as Medicaid pays by butts in seats census. She adjusted really seamlessly, it was probably on retrospect harder on me!; I even moved her to a different room (better view) a few months later and that too seemed to be ok with no major issues. If the NH allows for door decor, put something up that your mom will recognize as hers. Good luck on the move.

There should be no problem since the facility is in the same state and assuming the new facility accepts Medicaid payments.

I believe they can.

Have they been approved for Medicaid and is Medicaid now paying for their care at the facility? Do they have a Medicaid caseworker? Is the NH they want to move to within the same state? If it's in the same state, I would check with the admissions director of the new place. They handle these types of things all the time.

Ask if they can help ALSO contact their Medicaid Caseworker. They should be of help.

I am her caregiver that was taking care of her while she lived at her son's. She is waiting approval for medicaid in a nursing home but there are some issues there. If and when she does get approved, I will find out who the caseworker is and go from there. It would be in the same state, in the same county. Thanks for your help!

If you say there are some issues there, I take the facility has some problems that may require her to move to another one. If that's the case, I'd get the Medicaid approval and also try to figure out what the problem is with the facility. If it's some misunderstanding or issue that can be resolved, that might be an option. Other times, that's not possible. I hope things work out well.

thank you all for your help. The nursing home she is in transferred ownership and even though the caregivers are great, there are a lot of problems now. It is just a matter of getting her son to be a little more aggressive with his mom's care. I am nobody so no one can talk to me...even though I am the one that goes every day. I can tell you my woman has no control over her money, her son has taken care of that but once she is one medicaid...she will basically have nothing...maybe not even money to pay me after 6 months, even though I will continue to go and check on her. She has dementia. Thanks again!