Industry
Aging Life Care Managers Help Families Navigate Medicaid, Senior Care
A KFF Health News feature profiles aging life care managers, formerly called geriatric care managers, who coordinate services for older adults and their families, including Medicaid recertification paperwork, senior living transitions, and medical appointments. These independent, certified professionals, typically nurses or social workers, work directly for clients and families rather than hospitals, insurers, or facilities, distinguishing them from referral services like A Place for Mom that accept placement fees. The Aging Life Care Association, which represents over 2,000 members, maintains an ethics code barring kickbacks for referrals. Rates range from $150 to $350 per hour, with some agencies offering sliding-scale pricing.
Why it mattersFor Medicaid stakeholders, these independent care managers often serve as the de facto navigators helping beneficiaries complete recertification and long-term care transitions that state agencies and health plans otherwise struggle to support directly.