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PASSPORT

PASSPORT is a Medicaid Waiver program that provides older adults with additional services, so they can remain in their homes instead of being admitted to a nursing facility.

Eligibility

Eligibility for PASSPORT revolves around two main factors:

• Physical help needed for everyday activities
• Financial help to pay for in-home services

More specifically, older adults qualify for PASSPORT if they need:

1. Hands-on help with TWO or more of the following:
   
   
   • Mobility/Transferring
   • Bathing
   • Dressing
   • Toileting/Using the Restroom
   • Grooming
   • Eating
   • Taking Medications
2. Meet the Medicaid limits on income and assets as follows:
   
   
   • Income – How much money the PASSPORT applicant receives each month from various source,s including pensions, social security, investments, and other sources of monthly income. The spouse’s income, if applicable, is not counted.
     
     

     2008 Income limits:

     
     
     • Below $1,243 – PASSPORT applicant does not need to contribute toward services
     • Between $1,243 and $1,911 – PASSPORT applicant may need to contribute toward services
     • Above $1,911 – PASSPORT applicant may not be eligible for services. If eligible, may need to contribute toward services
   • Assets – Countable assets include stocks, bonds, money market accounts, IRAs, savings accounts, checking accounts, as well as life insurance policies that can be cashed in. In addition, the values of properties and vehicles above the exempted number listed below are counted. Exempt assets include on car/truck and the home in which the PASSPORT applicant resides. Assets of the applicant and spouses, if applicable, are counted.
     
     

     2008 Assets Limits:

     
     
     • Single (Legally divorced, widowed, or never married) - $,1500 total
     • If married couple is applying – $2,250 total
     • If married and one person is applying – applicant is allowed to have $1,500 and spouse can have up to $20,880

Services

PASSPORT services may be provided in coordination with skilled home care. They may include:

• Personal Care Aides – People who come into the home and help with light housekeeping, shopping, laundry, meal preparation, bathing, dressing, grooming, toileting and respite. Click here for a list of personal care aide providers in your area.
• Adult Day Services (Adult Day Care) – Places where older adults can go for the day and have socialization, meals and supervision. Some Adult Day Service Centers also provide personal care assistance such as bathing. Transportation may also be provided. Click here for a list of Adult Day Service Centers in your area.
• Emergency Response Units – Emergency call systems that are connected to a phone line and respond to a button that the older adult wears. When the button is pushed, the unit activates and calls for help if the older adult cannot get to the phone. Click here for a list of Emergency Response Unit providers in your area.
• Home Delivered Meals – Nutritious meals that are prepared and delivered to a person’s home. Some providers offer a hot meal to be eaten when delivered or a frozen meal to be reheated when convenient. Click here for a list of Home Delivered Meal providers in your area.
• Transportation – May be provided to and from medical appointments if alternate community resources are not available.
• Minor Home Modifications – Adaptations to enhance accessibility inside/outside the home. These adaptations enable an older adult to function with greater independence in the home. Services are limited and authorized after all other resources have been utilized.
• Chore – A service provided to improve, restore, or maintain a clean, sanitary, and safe living environment. Tasks may include washing walls and ceilings and cleaning carpets. Services are limited and authorized after all other resources have been utilized.
• Specialty Consults – Consultations for Nutrition and Social Work Counseling are available.

If you or someone you know needs help with bathing, dressing, transferring out of bed or a car, eating, using the restroom, or taking their medications, chances are they need some sort of long term care services.

We have staff to help see if you are eligible for PASSPORT by reviewing your individual situation. Click here to find out more about PASSPORT, or call 1.800.421.7277 ext. 3997.

Frequently Asked Questions

(To submit a question, please click here.)

Q: How much help can I get from PASSPORT?

A: PASSPORT assigns a care manager to work with the enrollee and caregiver. This care manager assists the enrollee in identifying unmet needs and determines what supports are necessary. For example, a service plan may include three hours of personal care three days each week, a daily hot meal and an emergency response unit. Service plans vary based on a person’s individual need.

Q: My mother has Alzheimer’s. Can PASSPORT help her?

A: PASSPORT is designed to keep a person in his/her own home instead of a nursing facility. The limitation of PASSPORT is that it cannot provide 24-hour continuous care. If a person needs 24-hour continuous care, the PASSPORT Care Manager can assist in developing a plan of care using both formal support (PASSPORT services) with informal support (family and friends).

Application process for PASSPORT

1. Contact the Screening Department at 1.800.421.9172 ext. 3997 or click here to submit a request.
2. The Information Specialist will answer any questions and obtain information to determine which service is most appropriate.
3. A Registered Nurse Assessor will visit the applicant to conduct an eligibility assessment and set up an initial service plan.
4. Applicant or family member will gather and submit information needed for Medicaid approval. Click here for a list of verifications normally requested for Medicaid.

Real Story

• M has been enrolled on the PASSPORT program since 2003.
  Prior to his enrollment in PASSPORT, M was in a nursing home for 3 years due to suffering a stroke that left him with right hemiplegia. When in the nursing, M had the desire to return to his home, which was a farm house in the country. With the involvement of legal aid, his daughter and PASSPORT, M...Read More »