“A Clever Strategy to Get Your Long-Term Care Costs Covered by Medicaid,” by Eric Reed, Yahoo! Finance   Quote: “A qualified income trust (or QIT) is a special form of trust designed to help people receive long-term care benefits under Medicaid. It is intended for people who make too much money to receive long-term or residential-care benefits under the program, yet too little money to pay for this kind of care on their own. Through a QIT patients can carve out a portion of their income each month into a dedicated account. They lose direct access to this money, but it
Read More

“Payment, regulatory and staffing reforms could emerge from effort to ‘reimagine’ care for older adults,” by Kimberly Bonvissuto, McKnight’s Senior Living   Quote: “The Dialogue builds on a series of brainstorming sessions by 50 long-term care experts —  including American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living, LeadingAge, National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care, ATI Advisory, PHI, AARP and the Urban Institute —  that resulted in a report, short papers on administrative actions to improve care, and an issue framing paper released in September. … The Convergence Dialogue on Reimagining Care for Older Adults is co-funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation and The
Read More

“US announces big hike in Medicare premiums,” by Maggie Fox and Tami Luhby, CNN   Quote: “The federal government announced a large hike in Medicare premiums Friday night, blaming the pandemic but also what it called uncertainty over how much it may have to be forced to pay for a pricey and controversial new Alzheimer’s drug. The 14.5% increase in Part B premiums will take monthly payments for those in the lowest income bracket from $148.50 a month this year to $170.10 in 2022. … Part B premiums are based on income. Individuals earning $500,000 or more a year and
Read More

“Medicare Advantage’s cost to taxpayers has soared in recent years, research finds,” by Fred Schulte, NPR   Quote: “Switching seniors to Medicare Advantage plans has cost taxpayers tens of billions of dollars more than keeping them in original Medicare, a cost that has exploded since 2018 and is likely to rise even higher, new research has found. … Medicare Advantage, a fast-growing alternative to original Medicare, is run primarily by major insurance companies. The health plans have enrolled nearly 27 million members, or about 45% of people eligible for Medicare, according to AHIP, an industry trade group formerly known as America’s Health
Read More

“No cognitive gains from ‘brain gaming’ found in studies of older adults with dementia,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Using video and software games aimed at improving brain function may be enjoyable, but it doesn’t affect the cognitive abilities in older adults with dementia, a new meta-analysis finds. … Standardized cognitive testing scores showed no improvement across the studies, and no changes in memory, executive function, visuospatial skills and/or language. Measures of quality of life did not improve either, the researchers added. … The study was published in the November issue of JAMDA.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President,
Read More

“Class action lawsuit filed against new WA long-term care tax,” by Rachel La Corte, Associated Press   Quote: “Opponents of a mandatory payroll tax to fund Washington state’s new long-term care program filed a class action lawsuit Tuesday in federal court seeking to stop the January start of the payroll premium for most employees in the state. … Among the arguments made by the suit is that the WA Cares Fund violates a federal law that forbids the state from passing any law that requires employees to participate in a plan that provides sickness or medical benefits. It also says
Read More

“More than 2,000 nursing homes earn top U.S. News ratings,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “High vaccination rates among staff and patient safety standards were among the common characteristics of thousands of nursing homes recognized as the “best” in the nation, according to ratings released today by U.S. News & World Report. … More than 1,060 nursing homes, out of the 13,175 assessed, were designated as high-performing in the long-term care rating. Out of 13,500 facilities, about 1,650 were ranked as high-performing in the short-term rating. … The full ratings list can be found here.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses,
Read More

“Pandemic Takes Its Toll On Caregivers,” Advisor Magazine   Quote: “The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has been felt especially hard among the nation’s caregivers, according to the latest findings from Northwestern Mutual’s 2021 Planning & Progress Study. One in five (21%) of Americans report they are currently providing care for someone, and among them six in ten (59%) say that they have had to take on new or expanded caregiving responsibilities during the pandemic. … On average, nearly a third (31%) of current caregivers’ monthly budget goes toward providing care. Those costs include professional support as well as expenses
Read More

“Confronting Ageism in Health Care: A Conversation for Patients, Caregivers and Clinicians,” Kaiser Health News   Quote: “What does ageism in health care look like? It can be a thoughtless quip that makes an older person feel diminished. Or an assumption that patients are unable to follow a conversation or make their own decisions. Maybe it occurs when a concern is voiced, then discounted or dismissed. … KHN and The John A. Hartford Foundation held a web event Thursday. Judith Graham, KHN’s Navigating Aging columnist, hosted the discussion. ” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: Ageism usually just rolls
Read More