Have you ever applied for Medicaid, either for yourself or another person? If yes, in which state did you apply, and how long was the approval process?

My mother’s in the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and I recently moved her to a $12K-per-month skilled nursing facility (nursing home).

All of Mom’s resources have been exhausted – actually, until the recent move, my brother and I spent huge amounts of our own money caring for her – and her sole income is a small Social Security benefit. There’s no question that she qualifies for Medicaid.

It’s been 8 weeks since I submitted her application. Twice, I’ve had to provide financial records and supporting documents; both times, I delivered the information promptly.

I know that caseworkers are overworked and backlogged, but 8 weeks (with no decision) seems very long. I also know that coverage, after its been approved, is retroactive to the application date. In the meantime, however, the facility’s very uneasy about $30K of cumulative, unpaid fees, and I’m in a state of limbo.

If you have an experience to share, I’ll be grateful.