Who Qualifies for Assisted Living Financial Assistance in Wyoming?

Low income adults aged 65 and older may qualify for assisted living financial assistance through Wyoming’s Medicaid program. Although Wyoming Medicaid doesn’t directly cover assisted living, it offers a waiver program called the Community Choices Home and Community Based Services Waiver (CCW) for those requiring a high level of care. Individuals are usually referred by the Medicaid Client Services Unit, a hospital, senior center or family member to complete an application.

Wyoming Medicaid’s CCW program covers adults aged 65 and older or those between 19 and 64 who have a disability. Applicants also need to meet certain financial requirements. A single person must have an annual income of less than $17,131, while married couples have an annual income limit of $23,169. The program provides a variety of services for individuals who require a nursing home level of care but wish to remain in the community, either at home or an assisted living facility. It also allows participants to choose their own provider.

While Wyoming Medicaid doesn’t cover room and board, it does provide financial assistance for several other services, including personal care, homemaker tasks, medication management, meals, some skilled nursing care and personal emergency response systems.

Assisted living is also listed as a benefit and defined as personal care in a residential setting with 24-hour assistance to meet an individual’s needs.

Medicare doesn’t directly cover assisted living costs, but seniors residing in a facility can get financial assistance for certain assets, such as approved medications, doctor visits and medical equipment. Veterans receiving a VA pension also have the option to apply for an additional monthly cash allowance through the Aid and Attendance benefit. Eligible participants must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Needs assistance for daily activities, such as bathing, feeding or dressing
• Spends most of the day in bed due to an illness
• Is a nursing home patient due to a disability
• Has limited eyesight

Seniors with long-term care (LTC) insurance may be able to use their policy to pay for assisted living. Most LTC policies cover a portion of the costs, but some have limits on how long or how much they’ll pay. For homeowners, reverse mortgages are another option. The amount of money an individual can borrow depends on the value of their home, and the loan typically needs to be repaid within 12 months of being issued.