Question 1

How much income can my mother keep at home in Chapel Hill if my father moves into a nursing facility on Medicaid?

Accepted Answer

NC's Minimum Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance (MMMNA) rules allow a community spouse to retain between $2,643.75 and $3,948.00 per month in income before excess shelter allowance adjustments, with the institutionalized spouse's income potentially diverted to the community spouse if the community spouse's own income falls below this range. The exact figure depends on the community spouse's housing and utility costs, calculated under the MA-2270 policy manual's shelter allowance formula.

Question 2

Is the PACE program available for seniors in the Durham/Triangle area?

Accepted Answer

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) is an NC Medicaid program (not a 1915(c) waiver) for adults 55+ who need nursing-home-level care but want to remain in the community, and it accepts Medicare, Medicaid, dual-eligible, private-pay, and 'PACE Medicaid' participants. As of NC Medicaid's most recent published information, there are 11 PACE organizations operating in 14 locations statewide, and Senior CommUnity Care of North Carolina is a PACE provider based in the Durham/Triangle area, though families should confirm current Triangle service areas directly through NC Medicaid's PACE contact list before assuming coverage in a specific city.

Question 3

What is the Medicaid Estate Recovery Program, and will the state take my parents' house in Cary after they pass away?

Accepted Answer

North Carolina's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) allows the state to seek reimbursement from a deceased Medicaid recipient's probate estate for nursing facility, home- and community-based waiver, and related hospital/prescription costs paid on their behalf, generally for recipients who were 55 or older when they received the covered services. Recovery only happens after death and is deferred while a surviving spouse is alive, with additional protections for a minor or disabled child and for cases of undue hardship, and the primary residence may be exempt while a qualifying survivor lives there.

Question 4

If my mother qualifies for Special Assistance in an adult care home in Garner, does she automatically get Medicaid too?

Accepted Answer

Yes — residents approved for State/County Special Assistance are automatically eligible for Medicaid, which then covers medical costs and can cover Medicaid State Plan Personal Care Services (PCS) delivered within the licensed adult care home, layered on top of the SA-funded room-and-board payment. SA itself, however, remains a separate state/county cash program, not part of Medicaid.

Provider	Based in	Address	County
Brookdale North Raleigh	Raleigh	1200 Carlos Drive, 27609	Wake
Atria Oakridge	Raleigh	10810 Sandy Oak Ln, 27614	Wake
Springmoor	Raleigh	1500 Sawmill Road, 27615	Wake
The Cardinal at North Hills	Raleigh	4030 Cardinal at North Hills Street, 27609	Wake
Magnolia Glen	Raleigh	5301 Creedmoor Road, 27612	Wake
Glenaire	Cary	4000 Glenaire Circle, 27511	Wake

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