As an Elder Law attorney, I know many of my clients receive Medicaid benefits to help with the costs of long-term care -- whether they're in a facility, in assisted living utilizing a waiver, or at home receiving waiver services. So, when the government announced the stimulus payments of $1,200 per adult and $500 per dependent child, immediately the Elder Law community wondered how the payments would be treated by Indiana Medicaid. And rightfully so.

Since stimulus payments started to be issued, I have received many inquiries from Medicaid recipients and other professionals with the most common question being:

As an Elder Law attorney, these uncertain times have become increasingly worrisome to myself and my clients. Most of my clients are at-risk community members as they are over the age of 60, many have underlying health concerns and/or are residing in a long-term care or assisted living facility. COVID-19 has had a major impact on not only my clients’ daily lives and those of their caretakers, but all at-risk community members. 

In addition to the dangers of the virus itself, COVID-19 has presented the elderly with another potential risk: fraud. With that in mind, I want to share a couple concerns we have been experiencing in our practice and helpful tips to combat them.