Does my grandmother need a lawyer to apply for medicaid? -

My grandmother recently had a stroke and needs the help of medicaid. It has been suggested that we contact an elder lawyer to help with the medicaid application. Has anyone out there applied for medicaid? If so could you let me know if a lawyer is necessary? What has your experience been?

Not necessary. You can apply to medicaid directly through the government. If your grandmother is old enough, she may be eligible for medicare, which is meant for the elderly rather than medicaid which is meant for those who cannot afford it. You can also look at medicaid s website at: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicaid.asp Also, if you need further help, you can contact your Congressman http://www.house.gov and they can help you for free. Best of luck!

When my mother needed to apply for medicaid, I went with her to the county offices. There was no need for a lawyer. A case manager helped us complete the application and told us what documents they needed. If a lawyer offers such services free of charge, there s no harm in having some assistance, but if they charge, I don t see a reason to involve one unless you encounter a problem.

The rules vary from state to state for Medicaid. You really don t need an attorney to apply, but rather just go to the Social Services Department within your state. I would suggest that you do a Yahoo search, with the search line reading: Medicaid Application (and then type in the name of your state of residence). That ll get you started.

A lawyer is not necessary in most circumstances. My family has been on medicaid for awhile and we did not use a lawyer. However if there may be circumstances in which medicaid may be denied I would suggest seeking the aid of a lawyer(there are many out there who will do it for free)

it depends on what she gets

no