Medicaid Defined 

Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with low incomes and limited resources. Covered services for eligible participants vary from state to state. Most often, eligibility is based on income and personal resources. In Tennessee, people with Medicaid may get coverage for services such as nursing home care, home care, and outpatient prescription drugs that aren’t covered by Medicare.

Sometimes you must exhaust your personal resources (assets) before you qualify. You may want to get more detailed information from your local Medicaid office before consuming your resources. Some people think that giving their resources to a family member or friend will make them eligible for Medicaid, yet there are certain rules for expending resources and transferring assets. States are required to investigate whether any resources were given away before you are approved for Medicaid. If a state finds that resources were given away, you will be penalized. For example, this penalty may be to cease payment for your nursing home care. To avoid a penalty, you should talk with the local Medicaid office or an attorney about what you can and can’t do with your resources. The following are opportunities and requirements/limits for Medicaid:

An individual entering the nursing home must have personal resources (dispensable cash) of  less than $2,000.00. 

Couples entering a nursing home must have less than $3,000.00 in combined resources. 
  
Some of the documents that the Medicaid office will use to check eligibility are: a certified copy of a birth certificate or the family bible (with proof of date of birth), social security card, three months of bank statements, life insurance policies, and burial insurance policies. If you think you or your loved one may qualify for Medicaid benefits you are encouraged to contact the local Medicaid office at (423) 634-6200 to schedule an appointment. It is not necessary to wait until your resource limits are achieved before applying.