When President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law on July 30, 1965, he stated, “No longer will older Americans be denied the healing miracle of modern medicine. No longer will illness crush and destroy the savings they have so carefully put away over a lifetime so they might enjoy dignity in their later years. No longer will young families see their own incomes, and their own hopes, eaten away simply because they are carrying out their deep moral obligations.” As a result of these two programs, millions of Americans have been able to gain access to the…
Join David Wingate as he presents recent and upcoming changes in the laws and regulations and how this will affect care providers and individuals who require care on a short-term or long-term basis.
CMS summarizes the basic requirements for Medicaid administrative claiming for the state LTCO program. The ombudsman program is partially funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA), however the bulletin draws attention to activities that may qualify for Medicaid administrative funding. In the bulletin, CMS notes that some states are expanding the populations served by the LTCO program to include individuals receiving LTSS in their own homes and the community. The LTCO program activities that may be eligible for Medicaid administrative funding include: · Tracking and reporting consumer requests for assistance in obtaining medical, dental, mental health or long-term care (including…
On May 21, CMS issued a guidance to states using 1115 demonstrations or 1915(b) waivers for managed long term services and supports programs and a summary of managed long-term services and supports programs essential elements. Review the informational bulletin and the two newly released documents.
The Republican-majority Texas House and Senate sent Gov. Rick Perry (R) a proposal to prevent the state from expanding its Medicaid program as outlined by President Barack Obama's health care reform law. Perry, a Republican, notified the Obama administration last summer his state would not expand Medicaid, which provides health care for low-income people. He repeated his opposition in an April news conference at which he called expansion "foolish." The proposal, an amendment to a Medicaid-related bill, says state health officials "may only provide medical assistance to a person who would have been otherwise eligible for medical assistance or for…
Planning ahead seems daunting – but if you take it step by step, it is really not so bad! First you organize, then you decide what you want, and then you sign the appropriate documents. Get Organized! Below are some specific strategies for gathering and keeping the information you need to make a thorough plan. If you don't gather this information, it can take weeks if not months for someone else to make sense of your organizational system (or lack of a system). Some of this information you need to make a plan and some of this information you will…
Spring is often a time for gatherings with family and friends – weddings, graduations, Mothers’ Day. Nursing home residents often want to participate in these gatherings but may be under the impression that they will lose Medicare coverage if they leave the facility to do so. This is not true. The Medicare Benefit Policy Manual recognizes that although most beneficiaries are unable to leave their facility, an outside pass or short leave of absence for the purpose of attending a special religious service, holiday meal, family occasion, going on a car ride, or for a trial visit home, is not,…
For over 40 years, advocates, policy makers, and others have relied on NHeLP to ensure that the Medicaid program is implemented as the law intends and that eligible low-income people can access the services that Medicaid provides. The recently updated Advocate's Guide to the Medicaid Program (Guide) is the leading reference on Medicaid for a quick, convenient way to understand the program. The Guide covers all of the major developments in Medicaid law over the past year and a half, including new guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Supreme Court's decision upholding the Affordable Care…
IMPORTANT UPCOMING WORKSHOP REVEALS One of the biggest fears that many people have today is the fear of having their life savings wiped out if they end up in a nursing home. What a shame to see someone’s life savings of 30, 40, or 50 years wiped out in a matter of months. Whether you or a family member is in a crisis or not, it is important that you understand what you can do to protect your hard earned assets! Most of the public does not yet realize that the laws on asset protection and long-term care planning has…
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