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To apply for the Aged and Disabled Federal Poverty Level Program, go to your County Medi–Cal Office to submit an application. You can download an application online, but a hard copy must be submitted in person or by mail. An eligibility worker at the Medi–Cal office will calculate your income and determine if you are eligible for the program. It typically takes 30–90 days to process an application. It may be a quicker process for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries because they have already met the disability requirements for the program. Others will have to undergo a medical determination of disability before being enrolled. Read More ...

A&D FPL provides free, full services under Medi–Cal (health care services that are deemed "medically necessary"). Such services include physician visits, adult day health services, some dental care, ambulances, and some home health. Other medical expenses, such as x–ray and laboratory costs, orthopedic devices, eyeglasses, hearing aids, are also covered. Certain drugs are covered that are on Medi–Cal’s approved list. If you have both Medi–Cal and Medicare, Medicare Part D covers most drugs. (For more information on Medicare Part D drug program you can find a fact sheet on CANHR’s website, www.canhr.org). Read More ...

Yes. The A&D FPL program is designed to allow the working disabled to keep a portion of their earned income out of the countable monthly income, thus allowing them to maintain eligibility in many cases. When calculating the countable monthly income, Medi–Cal subtracts $65 from the earned income and cuts the remainder in half before adding it to the unearned income, making it easier for the working disabled to stay below the eligibility income threshold. Read More ...

When determining eligibility for Medi–Cal with no share of cost, the MNA is only deducted from the countable income if there are other family members living in the home who are not applying for Medi–Cal. A big family needs a larger income, therefore less of that income will be counted towards eligibility for A&D FPL. Read More ...

If you are 65 years of age or older OR you are blind or disabled with a countable monthly income below $1,133 for an individual and $1,525 for a couple (as of May, 2009) you may qualify for the A&D FPL program. In addition, the applicant’s assets must be below $2,000 for an individual and $3,000 for a couple. This limit does not include exempt assets. To qualify as disabled, the applicant must demonstrate that he/she receives Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) OR would be eligible because of his/her disability to qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) but has been determined ineligible due to his/her income being too high. In other words, the applicant must show that he/she cannot work due to a physical or mental impairment (expected to last at least 12 months). Read More ...

The best way to avoid an estate claim is to leave nothing in the estate. Most Medi-Cal beneficiaries leave nothing but a home. If the property is transferred out of the beneficiary's name during life, the state cannot place a claim. Any transfer of real property can have tax consequences that may outweigh a Medi-Cal estate claim. Currently, there are a number of legal options (irrevocable life estates, occupancy agreements, certain types of trusts) available to avoid probate, avoid tax consequences and avoid estate claims. If you are considering a transfer of real property should consult Thompson | Von Tungeln, experienced attorneys in the Medi-Cal rules and regulations. For specific questions about avoiding recovery or the recovery process, call Thompson | Von Tungeln at (661) 945-5868. Read More ...

A. Hardship Waivers and Estate Hearings: State regulations provide that the applicant (i.e., the dependent, heir or survivor of the decedent) may file for a hardship waiver within 60 days of notice of the claim. The hardship application is provided with the notice of the claim and the itemized billing, along with a copy of the regulations. Consumers are advised to complete the hardship application as completely as possible and to submit substantial documentation to support any hardship. Read More ...

A. Notice of Death

When a Medi-Cal beneficiary dies, the County Medi-Cal office notifies the Department of Health Services in Sacramento and benefits are terminated. However, for recovery purposes, the burden of notifying the State of the death is still on the beneficiary's estate. California law, under Probate Code §215, requires that, when a deceased person has received or may have received health care benefits or was the surviving spouse of a person who received such benefits, the estate attorney, the beneficiary of the estate, the personal representative or the person in possession of the property is required to notify the Director of the Department (at the Sacramento office of DHS) no later than 90 days after the person's death. A copy of the death certificate is required to be sent. Read More ...

Under current law, "estate" is defined as any real or personal property and other assets in which the individual had any legal title or interest at the time of death (to the extent of such interest), including assets conveyed through joint tenancy, tenancy in common, survivorship, life estate, living trust or other arrangement. Anything left in the decedent's bank accounts, for example, can be subject to recovery, after estate and burial expenses or other documented expenses are paid. Read More ...

A. Surviving Spouse: The state is prohibited from recovery while a surviving spouse of a deceased Medi-Cal beneficiary is alive. However, after the surviving spouse dies, recovery may be made against any property received by the spouse through distribution or survival, e.g., property left under a will or community property. However, if the home is transferred out of the nursing home resident's name while he or she is alive, no claim can be placed on the home. Spouses should be careful to "transmute" the property, i.e., through a court order or by having the nursing home spouse sign a declaration relinquishing his/her interest in the property. Read More ...

California's definition of "estate" includes such assets as living trusts, joint tenancies, tenancies in common and life estates, although claims on the remainder interest in life estates are limited to those that were revocable. Many consumers place their property into living trusts, thinking that this will protect it from an estate claim. It does not. The State can still make a claim against property held in a living trust, joint tenancy or tenancies in common, as long as the beneficiary's name is still on the property at the time of death. However, the amount of recovery is limited to the amount of benefits paid or the value of the beneficiary's estate, whichever is less. For example, if the appraised value of your home is $200,000 and you left it in joint tenancy with your three children, the State can only collect up to $50,000, which is your part of the estate - even if the Medi-Cal benefits paid to you is more than $50,000. The value of the estate is also reduced by any outstanding mortgages or debts on the home. For example, if the home had an outstanding mortgage of $100,000, this reduces the value of the estate to $100,000 (the appraised value of $200,000, minus the mortgage). This, in turn, reduces the amount of the estate claim to $25,000. (The value of the home ($100,000) divided by the four joint tenants.) Deducting the amount of burial costs or estate settlement costs can also reduce the claim. Remember to keep receipts and submit them. When the State files an estate claim, they are also required to send an itemized billing of benefits paid over the deceased's lifetime. It is important to review the billing to see if there are any errors. Payments made for personal care services under the In Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program, the cost of premiums, co-payments and deductibles paid on behalf of either Qualified Medicare Beneficiaries or Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries (QMB/SLMB) are exempt from recovery. Thus, if payments for these services are included in the itemized billing, the collection representative should delete this from the billing. Read More ...

After the Medi-Cal beneficiary's death, the State can make a claim against the estate of an individual who was 55 years of age or older at the time he or she received Medi-Cal benefits or who (at any age) received benefits in a nursing home, unless there is a surviving spouse or a minor, blind or disabled child. (See Exceptions).Thus, if there are any assets left in the estate of the deceased beneficiary, Medi-Cal will seek to be reimbursed for benefits paid. It is important to note that, even if you received Medi-Cal at home, any benefits paid while you were 55 years of age or older will be subject to Medi-Cal recovery. Read More ...

Consumers often confuse liens and estate claims. Both have been used by the State in attempts to reimburse the Medi-Cal program for payments made to beneficiaries. Liens are placed on living Medi-Cal beneficiaries' estates to "hold" the property until the person dies. Read More ...

The State of California does not take away anyone's home per se. Your home can, however, be subject to an estate claim after your death. For example, your home may be an exempt asset while you are alive and is not counted for Medi-Cal eligibility purposes. However, if the home is still in your name when you die, the State can make a claim against your estate for the amount of the Medi-Cal benefits paid or the value of the estate, whichever is less. Thus, if your home or any part of it is still in your name when you die, it is part of your "estate" and can be subject to an estate claim. Read More ...

Medi Cal pays for health care services which meet the definition of "medically necessary." Services include: some prescriptions (although the Medicare Part D program now covers most prescriptions), physician visits, adult day health service, some dental care, ambulance services, some home health, X-ray and laboratory costs, orthopedic devices, eyeglasses, hearing aids, some medical equipment, etc. All covered services, or the remaining costs over the share of cost of nursing home care, will be covered if the individual meets income/resource requirements. Some services such as home health care, durable medical equipment, and some drugs require prior authorization. Nursing home care is covered if there is prior authorization from the physician/health care provider. Residents are admitted on a doctor's order and their stay must be "medically necessary". Residents are allowed to keep $35 of their income as a personal needs allowance. Residents with no income may apply for the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplemental Program (SSI/ SSP), and, if eligible, they will receive a payment of $50 as a personal needs allowance. If the individual qualifies for Medi-Cal, s/he does not need private "medigap" or HMO insurance to pay for costs, though if such insurance is carried, the premiums are deducted from income when computing the share of cost, and therefore costs the beneficiary nothing. If the HMO coverage includes drug benefits, maintaining the HMO coverage may become more important , as the beneficiary will continue to receive drug benefits from the HMO, which may be more comprehensive than the Medicare Part D coverage. Read More ...