Private Pay vs. ALTCS
For those looking at nursing homes, residential care homes, or assisted living communities, questions will certainly come up about how to pay for things. It’s important to have a plan of action for how to pay for care. Here are some helpful tips on how to pay for senior care in Arizona, including a discussion of private pay vs. Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS).
Private pay is the simplest option to understand. If for example, you are looking for a private pay home in Phoenix, you simply negotiate the price with a home you like and sign the lease. It’s important to consider how long your loved one’s savings will last, after accounting for their pension, social security and other sources of income. Private pay also means that you can choose any Arizona home. All Arizona assisted living facilities take private pay. However, assisted living is very expensive, and most people cannot simply afford to private pay for senior care.
The primary alternative to private pay is ALTCS. The Arizona Long Term Care System is Arizona’s Medicaid program, designed to help needy seniors afford the care that they need. Qualifying for ALTCS is based on medical necessity. In order to qualify for ALTCS benefits, you must have a certain number of conditions that ALTCS pays based upon, such as Alzheimer’s disease, or difficulty preforming basic activities of daily living, such as getting dress and bathing. If you meet the ALTCS standard, you will be able to get ALTCS benefits to help you pay for senior care in an assisted living facility.
You may also consider applying for VA benefits if your loved one is Veteran. Whether you are using ALTCS or VA benefits to help pay for assisted living, you will find that only certain homes are qualified to take those benefits. If you have a specific assisted living facility in mind, you should first check on their status if you are planning on using ALTCS or VA benefits.
We understand that this can be a difficult process. The purpose of Senior Planning is to help people choose the right course of action when seeking elder care. If we can be of any assistance, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. These are the very questions that our agency is equipped to answer for you. Just remember that the best things that you can do are to stay organized and to have a plan of action when you are searching for senior care.
