Edwards Announces $1.4 Million in
Medicaid Savings in Chautauqua Co.
Mayville: -- Chautauqua County Executive Gregory J. Edwards announces the success of the Chautauqua County Veterans' Service Agency's Medicaid Demonstration Project. "Because of the work of Veterans' Service Agency Director Troy Smith, Veterans' Service Officer Michael Rauh and others, we were able to save over $1.4 million in Medicaid expenses."
The $1.4 million in savings started at the end of February 2007 and was tracked through October 1, 2009. The program is still in effect, so more savings are anticipated.
The goal of the Medicaid Demonstration Project is to find County veterans who were eligible for Veterans Administration benefits they have earned by their service to our Nation and assist them in getting the benefits. Often that can reduce Medicaid expenses. Edwards said they discovered that the best way to save money was to find Medicaid eligible veterans and their family members before they applied for Medicaid.
"VA benefits can help avoid Medicaid expenses in several ways, from using the VA as a primary care provider instead of Medicaid to using VA benefits to reduce the costs of funerals," Edwards said.
The biggest way VA benefits save Medicaid money is through VA Pension for residents of skilled nursing and assisted living. VA Pension is a need-based program that applies to wartime veterans and their surviving spouses. Veterans and/or surviving spouses approved for VA Pension (and not on long-term care Medicaid) may be eligible to receive up to $1,949 per month. VA Pension helps to delay or eliminate the need to apply for Medicaid by extending a claimant's assets and paying medical bills.
Rauh said he started the Medicaid Demonstration Project by visiting long-term care facilities all over the county and talking to social workers and administrators about VA benefits. In addition, he met with vets and surviving spouses at their homes and at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Rauh said, "Many senior citizens miss out on VA benefits because they cannot come into an office."
"The Medicaid Demonstration Project was built from the ground up. The more claims that were done, the more nursing homes sent referrals to us. Successful claims lead to word-of-mouth referrals. It started off slowly, but it has grown exponentially," Rauh concluded.
Edwards said that this is yet another example of a program that is already in place in Chautauqua County that has led to a substantial increase in savings.
e-mail from Joel Keefer
The $1.4 million in savings started at the end of February 2007 and was tracked through October 1, 2009. The program is still in effect, so more savings are anticipated.
The goal of the Medicaid Demonstration Project is to find County veterans who were eligible for Veterans Administration benefits they have earned by their service to our Nation and assist them in getting the benefits. Often that can reduce Medicaid expenses. Edwards said they discovered that the best way to save money was to find Medicaid eligible veterans and their family members before they applied for Medicaid.
"VA benefits can help avoid Medicaid expenses in several ways, from using the VA as a primary care provider instead of Medicaid to using VA benefits to reduce the costs of funerals," Edwards said.
The biggest way VA benefits save Medicaid money is through VA Pension for residents of skilled nursing and assisted living. VA Pension is a need-based program that applies to wartime veterans and their surviving spouses. Veterans and/or surviving spouses approved for VA Pension (and not on long-term care Medicaid) may be eligible to receive up to $1,949 per month. VA Pension helps to delay or eliminate the need to apply for Medicaid by extending a claimant's assets and paying medical bills.
Rauh said he started the Medicaid Demonstration Project by visiting long-term care facilities all over the county and talking to social workers and administrators about VA benefits. In addition, he met with vets and surviving spouses at their homes and at nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Rauh said, "Many senior citizens miss out on VA benefits because they cannot come into an office."
"The Medicaid Demonstration Project was built from the ground up. The more claims that were done, the more nursing homes sent referrals to us. Successful claims lead to word-of-mouth referrals. It started off slowly, but it has grown exponentially," Rauh concluded.
Edwards said that this is yet another example of a program that is already in place in Chautauqua County that has led to a substantial increase in savings.
e-mail from Joel Keefer
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