Medicaid is a jointly funded federal and state government-run program that ensures Americans with limited resources receive vital health care services. The program is regulated federally and administered by each state. Roughly 2.2 million residents receive coverage through the Michigan state program, including almost half a million elderly, blind and disabled individuals.
Seniors in Rochester Hills who meet the Michigan Medicaid eligibility guidelines receive comprehensive health care benefits that include:
- Doctor and specialist care
- Inpatient, outpatient and emergency hospital services
- Ambulance and nonemergency medical transportation
- X-rays, lab and other diagnostics
- Prescription medications
- Long-term care in a nursing home
Qualifying for Michigan Medicaid for Long-Term Care Michigan residents must be American citizens or legal immigrants to qualify for long-term care coverage through Medicaid. Applicants must also be aged 65 or older or disabled or blind if aged 64 or younger. Rochester Hills residents eligible for or receiving federal
Supplemental Security Income benefits are automatically enrolled in Medicaid. Other applicants must have:
- No more than $2,313 in monthly income per individual
- No more than $2,000 in countable assets if single or $3,000 in combined assets if married and applying with a spouse
The state counts income from all sources when determining Medicaid eligibility, but it disregards several assets, including one vehicle, personal belongings, irrevocable burial trusts, an owner-occupied home worth $585,000 or less and household furnishings.
Rochester Hills residents can
apply for Medicaid online or in person at the
Michigan Health and Human Services office located at 51111 Woodward Avenue in Pontiac. Those who need assistance with their application can call (844) 799-9876.
MI Choice Waiver Medicaid-eligible Rochester Hills residents who’ve been assessed as needing a nursing home level of care but want to remain at home or in the community can apply for the
MI Choice waiver program. To qualify, applicants must be aged 65 or older or younger than aged 64 and blind or disabled. They also must be cognitively and physically able to safely live in the community with the support services provided through the waiver.
Participants in the program are given full Medicaid medical benefits and one or more of the following waiver services:
- Care coordination
- Transitional assistance to relocate to a community setting
- Community living support services
- Private-duty nursing care
- Preventive nursing services
- Counseling
- Medical equipment and supplies not provided through regular Medicaid
- Personal emergency response systems
- Nonmedical transportation
Because the MI Choice waiver isn’t a Medicaid entitlement program, participation is capped. Depending on current enrollment across the state, qualified applicants may be put on a waiting list to receive services.
For more information about the MI Choice waiver or to apply, seniors in Rochester Hills should contact
Area Agency on Aging 1-B at (800) 852-7795.