By upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has preserved—at least for now—major benefits for seniors and key changes in the way long-term care supports and services are delivered and financed, states Forbes. Here are some provisions of the law that directly affect the frail elderly and younger adults with disabilities. Medicaid: The law is filled with important changes to this state/federal program that currently funds nearly half of all paid long-term care services. While the Supreme Court ruled that most of the 2010 health law is constitutional, it threw out one important provision that would…
A Wall Street Journal article asked some tough questions about the availability of Medicaid nationwide. We realize that many local residents are understandably concerned about the program in our state–it is an essential lifeline for many seniors. The latest WSJ article suggest that some states are making it harder for individuals to receive Medicaid help to pay for long-term care costs–however, the "crack down" on Medicaid expenditures is advancing very differently in certain states. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid now accounts for about 40% of long-term care spending nationwide. The program is a joint state and federal effort…
Medicare has detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. Before you get started, you or your family member may have other long-term care choices like community-based services, home care, or assisted living depending on your needs and resources. Otherwise, click on the above and follow the steps when choosing a nursing home: Step 1: Find Nursing Homes in your area. Search by name, city, county, state, or ZIP code. Step 2: Compare the quality of the nursing Homes you're considering using the Five-Star Quality Ratings, health inspection results, nursing home staff data, quality measures,…
A Wall Street Journal article this weekend asked some tough questions about the availability of Medicaid nationwide. At the Elder Law office we realize that many local residents are understandably concerned about the program in our state–it is an essential lifeline for many seniors. The latest WSJ article suggest that some states are making it harder for individuals to receive Medicaid help to pay for long-term care costs–however, the "crack down" on Medicaid expenditures is advancing very differently in certain states. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid now accounts for about 40% of long-term care spending nationwide. The program…
Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects everybody it touches—husbands, wives, children and grandchildren—they all bear witness to their loved one’s slow demise. Sadly, emotional stress is not the only stress that accompanies Alzheimer’s disease; those loved ones serving as caretakers may carry a huge amount of financial stress as well. The cost of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can run anywhere from $64 a day to over a $100,000 a year, and because Alzheimer’s disease can be such a long-lasting disease (a person can suffer from Alzheimer’s for up to 20 years) the costs of care can end up being…
As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, more and more seniors are finding themselves facing a harsh reality: they didn’t adequately plan financially for their later years. Sure they saved enough to retire, pay the bills, and travel. However, there is a potential financial drain waiting towards the end of their lives that they just did not see coming—the need for long term care. Perhaps this is where you find yourself now. Maybe your spouse has suffered a debilitating fall and you need a home health aide to assist you in caring for them. Or perhaps you are an…
Veterans and their families can learn about a Veterans benefit that will help cover the cost of long term care at a free seminar at the FSK American Legion Post #11, 1450 Taney Avenue, Frederick, Maryland. The seminar, presented by elder law attorney, David Wingate is Thursday, April 12 th, 2012, at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The cost of long term care can be expensive, often times depleting assets that have been accumulated over a lifetime. But veterans may qualify for Aid and Attendance from the VA. Eligible veterans may qualify for a benefit of up to $2,000 a…
But the purchase can turn into a nightmare if the insurance company refuses to pay for your care. One long-term care insurance company in particular, Bankers Life and Casualty, is gaining a reputation for not paying claims. A recent report by CBS News highlighted some of the problems Bankers Life customers have been experiencing. The report recounts the story of 93-year-old Timber Harwood, who paid long-term care insurance premiums for years. When he needed home health care after a serious fall, the insurance company gave his family the runaround, repeatedly claiming for almost a year that hundreds of pages of…
When the time comes, as does for most of us, that we need assistance in our daily living, the unfortunate fact is that too many of us end up in nursing homes – not because we need constant nursing care, but because there no other good options. A provision of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act may help change that. According to a recent article in the LA times, the most ambitious part of the Act, as it relates to long-term care is the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act, or CLASS – a voluntary, consumer-financed insurance…
A national Medicaid study projects Maryland's Medicaid program underfunds the actual cost of providing skilled nursing care by $64.8 million annually. Maryland's long-term care leaders today expressed deep concern for the impact potential further cuts to Medicaid would have on the state's poor and elderly. "The gap between the actual cost of providing skilled nursing and rehabilitation care and what Medicaid pays continues to widen," warned Joseph DeMattos, president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland (HFAM). "Our lawmakers in Annapolis must carefully consider the substantial shortfall in funding that long-term care providers are already operating in when making…
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