Question:
My partner is on disability. As a senior, she is on basic Medicare, but as a person on disability, she also has Medicaid, (which, I believe, effectively functions in her case as the equivalent of both the Medicare Supplement, and Part D policies). She currently owns a house in Vermont, where she is a legal resident. However, we are spending much of our time now in Massachusetts (near our daughter and grandkids, near Boston).
What is the situation for my partner having medical treatments that take place in Massachusetts being paid for by Medicaid, with that being a state-run Vermont program. Is that possible? Only sometimes possible? Not possible? (She recently had a medical expense denied in Massachusetts because her Medicaid policy is based in Vermont.)
Response:
That depends on Vermont Medicaid. You will have to ask them what out-of-state coverage they have. It may well be none since the state Medicaid program wants to be able to control its costs. If you and your partner can afford it, you might consider purchasing a Medigap policy that covers out-of-state costs even though she already has in-state coverage from Medicaid.
It may make more sense for your partner to change her residence to Massachusetts if that is where you’re spending more of your time. Then she would have to apply for MassHealth (the name of the Massachusetts Medicaid program) coverage of her care there. The problem may be that then her Vermont home would become a countable asset for eligibility purposes making her ineligible for MassHealth.
Homes are noncountable assets for determining eligibility for Medicaid by they lose their exempt status if they’re not in the state where you’re seeking benefits. By definition, a house in state A can’t be your home if you’re claiming residence in state B.
