Carney Elder Law is proud to define our practice area primarily as “Elder Law”. Although we gladly provide estate planning services to persons of all ages, and work with many professional, private and corporate clients on various types of cases, especially special needs planning, the focus of most of our work is on the elders in our community.
Our goal is to assist our clients in every stage of their lives including finding and maintaining quality health and personal care, and ensuring that all legal and financial documents are in order. We counsel family members regarding the difficulties of navigating the legal process for the mentally ill, incapacitated, and disabled. We will advise families in the life and death issues that they may face. At Carney Elder Law, we are champions for the elderly and their families.
Contact Us (408-402-6440)
Carney Elder Law
19100 Cox Avenue, Suite A
Saratoga, CA 95070
Telephone: (408) 402-6440
Fax: (408) 402-6444
Email: [email protected]
What is the difference between Medicare and Medi-Cal? Will Medicare pay for a nursing home?
Medi-Cal is the California version of the federal Medicaid program, which is a public benefits program. It has to be financially needy in order to get Medi-Cal. Medicare is health insurance that an individual pays for along with the social security that they got deducted. So you’re paying for this health insurance in advance through payroll deductions and when you get to the point of being 65 years old, you automatically become… go on to this health insurance instead of whatever health insurance you have. Medi-Cal, as a public benefit, is only for individuals who need… who either don’t have Medicare or who have Medicare but Medicare doesn’t cover certain will, no; Medicare doesn’t cover everything, and that they cannot afford those other things that Medicare doesn’t cover. What does Medicare not cover? That is the biggest thing; it’s skilled nursing long term care. Now, Medicare does cover what I call short term care, that’s rehab in a nursing home if you break your hip or have a stroke and you need to go to the nursing home for some rehab, that’s called medical or skilled nursing care, but the long term care in a skilled nursing facility is not covered by Medicare, while it can be covered by Medi-Cal if the in individual qualifies for the Medi-Cal. Again, Medicare is health insurance, Medi-Cal is the same thing as Medicaid and that is a public benefit that pays for things Medicare doesn’t cover.
What does Medi-Cal cover?
Medi-Cal covers the things that Medicare as a health insurance does not cover. It can cover co-payments, it can cover deductibles, it can cover long term care for an individual in a skilled nursing home. Medicare will cover the short term in a nursing home. That means rehab, such as if you break a hip or have a stroke, whereas if you can’t leave the nursing home after the end of your therapy, then you may need to stay there for a long term care, that will be covered by Medi-Cal if you can qualify for it. Again this is a public benefit; you have to be financially needy.
