LW and Dorothy are husband and wife. This couple, who are in their mid-sixties, both suffer from chronic medical conditions with LW’s being the more severe. 

Dorothy received Medicaid before being approved for SSI in 2010. Her Medicaid was terminated after her children reached the age of eighteen. 

Dorothy has Degenerative Disc Disease. She takes medication for back pain, cholesterol, and high blood pressure.  Medicaid Insurance covers mostly all her medicine but they do not pay for her Tramadol which is a pain medication. She is also on a muscle relaxer which costs her $21.00. Dorothy is allowed six medication slots. She states that there are times when she no longer has slots available for medications and she simply does without until the next month when slots are available or pay for the medication.  Rather than getting a prescription for her pain medicine, she takes ibuprofen. She usually cannot afford to pay for medication. 

Dorothy’s daughter serves as her aide.  Her daughter provides her personal care services three (3) hours Mondays through Thursdays and one and a half hours (1.5) on Fridays. Dorothy nor LW drives.   

LW has United Health Care Duel Complete. He is a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) recipient. He has suffered three strokes and two heart attacks.  The first heart attack occurred while he was working at his job in the Crawfordsville area.  LW thought that it might be indigestion but learned that he had actually had a heart attack. LW has Diabetic Neuropathy.  His severe diabetes has resulted in a right leg amputation below the knee and toes amputated on his left foot. He currently uses a motorized wheelchair for mobility.  In addition to the chronic conditions listed above, LW has been diagnosed with an enlarged prostate.   He currently takes twenty-five pills a day including insulin for his diabetes. 

Spouses who both have chronic medical conditions can be challenging. It has called for life changing plans for their everyday life and the future.  Medicaid has helped to lessen the weight of those challenges. 

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