I was remarried a year and a half ago. We reported our change to Medicaid (I have 3 children from my previous marriage). My husband works and I am not sure if we are eligible for Medicaid. But Medicaid never made a change. They sent us a letter stating the kids were still eligible. I went to their office and asked for my case number and they said I don't have a case, it's been closed. Weird.
I still have Medicaid on the kids and use it frequently. I think we go lost in the system. Should I notify them and let them know that I should have a case in their system, or should I just let the find out for themselves? I really don't want a huge debt to sneak up on me. I am disabled myself and on Medicare.
By Gina from Orlando, FL
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Follow up on this! I worked in Medical Billing for a long time and things do get lost in the system. Ask for an interview and be prepared with all docs needed. Remember that the person who is taking care of you now is probably not the person that may have caused the glitch.
Don't ask people who do not know. Write a letter or go to the medicaid office.
I was an insurance clerk for almost two decades. Most of the time I was able to get mistakes fixed, but on one case, no matter what I did, I could not get them to understand the a mistake had been made. I fought with them for years: they sent us a check that was not ours. I tried refunding the money to them repeatedly; they sent it back to us,repeatedly. I wrote them letters, filled out form, talked to people on the phone.
Good luck dealing with them.
I am also disabled so do understand the Medicaid/Medicare. Since you mention you are on Medicare you need talk to your case worker at your local Social Security office about this. Your personal Medicaid case was indeed closed when you were, as a disabled person, transfered to Medicare and has nothing to do with records being lost. It's an automatic transfer to Medicare when you have been disabled for two years. Talk to your SS case worker and see if there are any backup state programs that you might qualify for (now that you are remarried you might not qualify for others because of household income) and be thankful that your children remain covered.
If you've reported your situation to the Medicaid office and are getting no response, do what we do, we contact our local Assemblyman in our area! They get immediate attention. (You will have to have ready all your information so they can follow up on it). Generally, you should get a response within 24 hours. Many times there are "glitches" that go unnoticed (personally, it's people not doing their jobs, if you ask me). Everybody has a "Boss", and they have to answer to the State, so get your Assemblyman involved to help with your case. It works.
I think you should contact your Medicaid office again. However, it is possible that even though you're now married, you are still eligible for Medicaid. In Missouri, Medicaid is based on the birth parent's income not the step-parent.
My husband is on Social Security Disability and I am 66 on Social Security and Medicare. He has 15-year-old twin boys who live with us. Our boys are on Medicaid due to his income.
I recently called Family Services (Medicaid) to see how much money I could make if I went back to work before it would affect the boys' Medicaid. The caseworker told me I could make as much as I wanted as their Medicaid was based on their father's income and not mine.
So it would be a good idea to see how Florida's Medicaid works.
You should get off Medicaid as soon as possible. Someone (ie: the taxpayer) is having to pay for your medical bills -- sometimes when they can hardly afford to go to the doctor themselves.
Daradams, With much respect, we don't know what Gina's disability is and she might not be able to ever work again. I can't work again and I hate it. Also, the Medicare and Medicaid taxes you pay are there for you if ever, God forbid, need it. I paid in for 35 years and they are programs that I contributed to for all those years and paid my doctor bills on my own in the interim all of those years and still pay a portion of medical expenses on a small fixed disability income.
I was disgusted when a couple of people I've known were not truly disabled and were milking the system but you can report them for fraud and do it anonymously.
Please do not assume that everyone on Medicaid/Medicare are not truly needing and that all are able to go back to work. The shoe might be on the other foot for you in a blink of an eye and if that became the case you certainly wouldn't want people making assumptions. I worked all those years and wanted to work another decade but the other shoe fell. It's both humiliating and humbling.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. @ Daradams; I had a great job and medical insurance before I as diagnosed with MS, I helped put my ex husband through college. We owned a lovely home in the suburbs. I attend church weekly and returned 10% of my income to it. My children were not medicaid babies. When I became disabled I had to stop working. My ex-husband disappeared and left me in a wheelchair and in a diaper with his 3 children. He was suppose to pay for their medical care as he was making $90,000 a year . He refinanced our home and was gone. That was done while I was on chemo. I was PTA President,volunteered to feed the homeless, and sang in my church choir. Oh, and one more thing, I asked medicaid to let me continue on the plan that I was paying monthly for but was forced on medicaid because he stopped paying child support, I was forced onto medicaid. I have been paying taxes since I was 17, working in a store. So please do not judge, lest you be judged. I did my best, then I got sick. I am going to medicaid and bringing my paperwork. If they want a refund, so be it, but I did what I was suppose to do, and they didn't. To those who did not judge, thank you for your compassion. Peace and blessings.
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