I live with Parksinons and now 3 years retired on a disability allowance and small pension. I am resident in Brooklyn NYC. I am single and own no property. I am still able to care for myself but my copayments (my insurance is with BlueCross) come to almost 1/3rd of my available income. I recently started on medicare which has further reduced by living income. A local Eldercare lawyer is proposing a $6k fee to help my eligibility for Medicade. Isn't this excessive? How do I explore my options in an informed way?
I appreciate the practical help this web forum provides.
They have a trained staff that can guide you through aging issues within NYS.
Go to www.medicare.gov to look over plans.
Then, you'd need Medicare D, which is for prescriptions. This is the poorest part of Medicare, though these last years the government has been trying to close the "donuthole." This is the point when you hit a certain amount and must pay the bulk of the cost before you hit the catastrophic amount. Still, the donuthole won't be closed for years, so it's a problem.
If you want to claim Medicaid status through an attorney, that attorney should only charge you a percentage AFTER you win. . Otherwise all you owe is cost such as photo copies of medical records, etc. And $6000 sounds excessive
From the sound of your financial situation, you may already qualify for Medicaid. I'd do as MaggieMarshall suggests and start making calls. The new www.aging.gov site will lead you to your state resources.
Good luck! Please update us on your situation.
Carol
Medicare deductions are standard unless someone is in a higher income bracket so that should only amount to a $104.90 monthly deduction.
$6,000 for Medicaid qualification is obscene. I would forget about that attorney.
Maggie's right in referring you to the local Aging office. Pam Stegman lives in NY and has a lot of insight into what's available, so if she comes along, she can probably offer some good suggestions.
Your city may also have a senior center; sometimes they have a lot of good resources that can help you locate more information. I know that there are people who charge to locate good medical policies, but with Medicare, what you need to look for are specific supplements or others that compliment basic Medicare.
http://www.aging.ny.gov