Illinois Seniors Face Tough New Reality
Need help paying for nursing home care? Illinois Seniors face a tough new reality.
On January 1, 2012, the State of Illinois will begin enforcement of the tough new rules for nursing home Medicaid assistance.
Under the new rules, senior citizens and disabled persons in Illinois who need help paying for long-term care must go through a much more rigorous process to receive assistance under the Aged, Blind and Disabled program of Medicaid.
The only good news is that the rules could have been far worse. The Task Force for Senior Fairness, along with the HELP Coalition; the Illinois State Bar Association; and the Illinois chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) fought for nearly two years to temper the harshest provisions of the rules proposed by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. We fought to preserve the dignity and generosity of our senior citizens; the aging men and women who worked in our factories, fought our wars, paid their taxes, and raised their own children to become productive citizens. We know that the seniors who need Medicaid assistance paying for long term care are frugal people who were doing fine on their modest incomes until they were hit by the wrecking ball of long-term illness.
Under the new rules, if you apply for Medicaid less than five years after you have given a gift or made a “Disallowed Transfer”, you will punished with a penalty period during which you will not receive Medicaid assistance, even if you are ill, in a facility and impoverished.
You probably know someone who has fallen into this trap without even realizing it. During this ongoing recession, Illinois senior citizens have given millions of dollars to help to family members who have lost their jobs. Seniors have helped their adult children pay for medical expenses, mortgage payments, and grocery bills when their children had nowhere else to turn. An Illinois senior who helps a family member today can be denied Medicaid assistance until 2015. Can you predict what your health will be in 5 years?
This website is designed to inform the public about the changes to the Medicaid eligibility rules for the Aged, Blind and Disabled. The information you will find here is not a substitute for legal advice.