Parkinson’s Awareness Month: Planning For Long-Term Care

While many people assume that long-term care only encompasses expenses incurred from staying in a nursing home, it can also encompass expenses incurred from living in an assisted-living facilities and in-home aides and other support systems, such as Meals-on-Wheels. For an individual suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, one or more of these support systems might become necessary. This is based upon a number of factors, such as how far your Parkinson’s Disease has progressed and your own personal preferences. The question then becomes, how will a patient with Parkinson’s Disease pay for these expenses?

There are a number options that available to pay for long-term care expenses. The most common and probably one of the most important options is Medicare. Medicare can cover a number of expenses, including “doctor’s visits, lab tests, hospital stays, physical, occupational and speech therapy,” but requires that a person be 65 or older or disabled. This benefit is not tied to a the number of assets that a person possesses. To claim Medicare through disability, there is a two-year waiting period after a person becomes eligible to receive hospital insurance coverage under Medicare A. After the waiting period, a person can then enroll in Medicare Part B. Unfortunately, Medicare does not pay for individuals to stay in a nursing home. Still, this can be beneficial because Parkinson’s medication can be expensive. 

There are other options that are available to supplement the expense not covered by Medicare. Private funds, long-term care and health insurance, and Medicaid are also available to supplement the health care expenses. It is important for a patient to review their assets to determine the appropriate means to cover their expenses. For Medicaid, it is important to note that this is only available to those who have almost no assets. Another source of income that patient’s with Parkinson’s Disease needs to take into consideration is Social Security Disability. 

See Janna Dutton, Planning For Long-Term Health Care, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Summer 2010.