By Grace DeRose-Wilson, Screening Integration Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan
Do you have questions about your Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) benefits? Are you having trouble contacting your MDHHS caseworker? Michigan’s Coordinated Access to Food for the Elderly (MiCAFE) might be able to help!
Mr. H called MiCAFE because he was having trouble with his Medicaid benefits. Mr. H had been in the hospital and had $10,000 – $20,000 of medical bills from June 2018. Mr. H had lost his Medicaid but had reapplied and was re-approved for Medicaid benefits. However, Mr. H’s Medicaid benefits for June 2018 were not reinstated, so Medicaid would not cover any of the hospital bills Mr. H had received during that time.
After a year of not knowing what to do about all his medical bills, Mr. H contacted MiCAFE. It had been so long since Mr. H had received the medical bills, and since his Medicaid benefits had lapsed, MiCAFE was not sure if the Medicaid benefits could be reinstated. MiCAFE contacted an MDHHS worker, who was able to contact Mr. H’s caseworker. Because of the circumstances with Mr. H’s MDHHS case, Mr. H’s caseworker was able to retroactively reinstate Mr. H’s Medicaid benefits for June 2018.
MiCAFE then called Mr. H to let him know that he could wait 24 to 48 hours and then contact his health care providers to have them re-bill the June 2018 medical bills to Medicaid. Mr. H was grateful to MiCAFE for helping him get his Medicaid benefits reinstated so his medical bills could get paid.
“MiCAFE, they get everything done! I tell everyone MiCAFE is the place to go!” Mr. H stated, after receiving assistance from MiCAFE. If you would like help applying for or renewing your benefits through MDHHS or if you have questions about your benefits and are unable to contact your MDHHS caseworker, take Mr. H’s advice and call MiCAFE at 877.664.2233.
MiCAFE is a program of Elder Law of Michigan that helps potentially eligible older adults and individuals with disabilities access and apply for public benefits through the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). MiCAFE also helps older adults and those with disabilities who are struggling to renew and maintain their benefits after getting approved for them.
Grace DeRose-Wilson is a Screening Integration Coordinator for MiCAFE at Elder Law of Michigan and has been a member of the Elder Law of Michigan team since November 2018. As a Screening Integration Coordinator, Grace helps Michigan seniors navigate the benefits application process, and helps raise awareness of benefits through community outreach events.
