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3. Understand your parents’ medical insurance coverage, Medicare prescription drug plans, and even property insurance
Your parents need to have their medical insurance and Medicare cards and any prescription drug cards available in their billfolds. I also kept photocopies of those documents on my phone, in my office document management system, and at home.
Know when the bills are due for the premiums, and make sure you pay them if your parents are incapacitated. Better yet, have the premiums withdrawn automatically from their bank account.
You will also want to understand what coverage is provided. My dad, who I indicated was very sharp until the end of
his life, knew the Medicare rules. Make sure you do, too. Medicare will generally pay for a rehab stay in a nursing home following a qualified hospital stay of three nights. Make sure you discuss this with your parents’ physician if you believe a stay in a rehabilitation facility would be helpful for their care.
In addition to understanding Medicare, be aware of other insurance coverages your parents may have and when
the premiums are due. Make sure the prescription drug premiums are paid. Do they have life insurance? Are there still premiums due? Make sure their property insurance bills are paid. Also, if their residence will be vacant for some time, you may need vacant home insurance. Most first- party property insurers do not cover vacant residences, often defined as vacant properties for 30-60 days. If your parents’ place is vacant for some time, check with their homeowners’ insurer to determine when the home will be considered vacant. It is better to purchase vacant home insurance than to determine that the policy does not provide coverage after a loss, as the insurer has determined the home was vacated.
4. Hospital social workers are your friends
The hospitals all have social workers who can help locate resources for your family member post-hospital discharge. The social workers can help find an appropriate placement and help determine whether a nursing home rehabilitation stay would benefit your family member. Social workers are in tune with the local residential rehabilitation units
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