Getting Through The Application Process

If you have never had to apply for Medicaid, this is a wake up call. I am addressing Medicaid enrollment here rather than Medicare because Medicaid is the easier of the two.

I just helped someone through the process and I used to teach people both privately and in classes, how to find the benefits they were entitled to and what the process was to receive them. Most of these individuals were elderly, homeless, disabled, ill or all off the above. Most of all, they were confused and frustrated and needed medical help badly.

In helping the latest person apply I don’t know which one of us was more frustrated. There is, of course, a major application and the demand – not request – for a million other items.

Since everything is turning into the electronic age of computers, not everyone is very comfortable or familiar with applying by computer. We worked that out by getting on my computer with me doing the typing and my friend giving me the information needed. We both made sure that we crossed every T and dotted every I. We looked at pages over and over again to make sure we left nothing out.

We turned in the application and the papers that were asked for, such as Passport, Birth Certificate, Driver’s License (or I.D) bank account statements, work paycheck stubs and more. You turn all this in at the office. We turned my friend’s papers – all of them – into the local office, making copies first. (Thank goodness for copiers).

There was no response for a few weeks and when we called we were told that there was no record of any paperwork. I can’t begin to tell you how my sick friend reacted. After going back into the office, which is about 20 miles away and quite strenuous for my friend,we talked to a supervisor and after an hour she tracked the paperwork down.

The difficulty was that the system is that you do not turn your paperwork in – even in person – to your worker. You turn it in to a main desk then it gets copied, entered into the computer and given to the worker you are assigned to, leaving room for error.

I want to say that all the workers were helpful, courteous and really went out of their way to help us. Nonetheless, the system slowed them down. At last the paperwork was found. The problem – since they don’t date stamp the paperwork when you bring it in, – was now that they wanted us to start the process again and move the date of the application to the next month. Let’s just say that after a very intense conversation with the supervisor, and after convincing her that I would go home and email her my copy of the last page of the application which was dated, they agreed to use the original date.

Yet one more hurdle and we were finally almost through. Somehow there were some papers missing. Don’t ask. We had to deal with finding the passport and a couple of other papers. At that point I told my friend and the supervisor that this was very unusual since all papers were turned in together. In person! I promised to bring the papers in and gathered them al over again because they had to be originals. I got down to the Medicaid office only to find out that by some amazing coincidence, they had found the missing papers just that morning.

At any rate, they had everything and after nearly 3 months my friend got her Medicaid. Fortunately, it was retroactive and she could take a deep breath.

I am not saying that this is what happens in every situation. What I am saying is that there are a great many people who need benefits – especially these days. If you happen to have to apply it is important to be organized, keep copies of everything, get to know a worker or supervisor and be patient if possible. It’s not an easy process, but it’s worth it in the end.