My dad had a stroke and I was his in-home caregiver In Home Support Services (IHSS). The county stopped the service 01/01/2017. They cut him off. He still needs the help but he gets too much SSI to qualify for IHSS. Is there anything that can be done to help him. The amount Medi-Cal wants him to pay to qualify for IHSS isn't possible. They want almost half of his income. He recieved Medi-Cal and IHSS for almost two years before he was cut off. His SSI only went up 50 a year and besides that for the 2 years he was receiving Medi-Cal and IHSS he was making over allowed amount. He needs help, he hasen't gotten any better sense he had the stroke. Is there anything that can be done?
If so he may qualify for services through the VA. Worth a call to find out. And if he does qualify they can help in so many ways form in home service to Respite and supplies and medications.
My daughter was told a year later that her income of $1400 a month was too high and she was cut off. The problem is she is unemployed, the $1400 was my disability payment which is my sole income.
This triggered a nightmare! I took about 6 months to clear up the mistake on my daughter but at the same time they began taking everything away from me and saying I had a Share of Cost of $908 a month! I said "WHAT, that cannot be true I have been on disability for about 10 years and always qualified for extra help with no share of cost!"
I asked for a Hearing and was told yep you have to pay $908 before we will pitch in a dime! I kept researching to find out what happened and was finally told by a young woman at Medi Cal that they had messed up my coverage and had put me on the Magi program which I cannot be on because I am disabled, she also told me that it automatically did away with any other benefits I had previously had. I asked her if she could correct it but she said all she could do was pass on the message to my case worker.
I went to a second Hearing and was told that I did NOT HAVE A SHARE OF COST! Yipee I was happy, it was back where it was suppose to be. That lasted for a minute as my case worker stuck his nose back in my case and I found myself in his office arguing my case AGAIN...BECAUSE HE REFUSED TO ACCEPT THE FINDINGS OF THE HEARING SPECIALIST and continued to argue that I DID HAVE A $908 A MONTH SHARE OF COST!!!
I WAS FORCED TO GO BACK TO A THIRD HEARING!!! This time I told them I wanted someone who knew what the ---- they were doing and I wanted my case worker changed. I got a young woman who went over everything a THIRD TIME and I was told I DID HAVE A $908 A MONTH SHARE OF COST. I argued asking how this could possibly be as I had been on this for 10 years with no SHARE OF COST. Their answer was "There was a previous error!" To that I say BS but I have not way of knowing what was going on, they don't even know and cannot understand their computer system!! I was angry and frustrated to say the least!
I was then told that the only way I could get around this was to purchase insurance OUTSIDE OF MEDI CAL FOR VISION AND DENTAL AND IT HAD TO COST AT LEAST $51 A MONTH!!!
I told the young woman that this was crazy, I was trying to care for myself and my daughter and pay for our home and food and utilities and I was having difficulty making it on $1400 a month and here they were now deducting $135 a month for my Medicare and now they wanted me to spend an additional $51 a month for Dental and Vision? How was I suppose to live? They did not care, it was not them. I debated dropping Medi Cal entirely and was told not to, just in case I had an accident or some other emergency.
This is actually spending down your income, we decided to just eat two meals a day and hopefully we can make it through until my daughter graduates and gets a job.
Last week I got a letter from Social Security telling me that the State of California is going to pay the $135 monthly cost for Medicare because my income is so low. I am happy and confused and a bit frightened as I have visions of a FOURTH HEARING COMING!
I know there is a way for you to get past this SHARE OF COST but unfortunately it WILL COST YOU MONEY TO DO IT! I absolutely understand your frustration!! I still get upset just thinking about it! Do seek legal help if this continues. If I have to go back to another HEARING I too am going to seek legal assistance...It seems that Medi Cal has become so confusing that not even the employees understand it!!! Actually the doctors don't understand it either, I worked for doctors doing insurance billing and those chose to just write off the balance rather than worry with Medi Cal and all the hoops you are forced to jump through!