“Long-Term Care Costs Emerge as a Top Issue for Older Americans,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “When the survey team asked participants whether they were very worried about certain health-related concerns, the ‘cost of home care, assisted living, nursing home care’ ranked first: 56.3% of the survey participants said they were very worried about that issue.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: If that’s true, why aren’t more people worried enough to plan for LTC risk and cost? For the answer, read the Paragon Health Institute’s “Long-Term Care: The Problem” and “Long-Term Care: The Solution”
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  “The Overextended Retirement State,” by Chris Pope, Manhattan Institute “The U.S.’s increasingly costly entitlements for middle-class retirees result in substantial redistribution away from young workers. If this system is not reformed soon, major tax increases on workers at all income levels will be required, which will only exacerbate redistribution away from age groups who are worst off.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: The entitlement scale is heavily tipped in favor of the elderly. The young are less and less able to pay the cost. So the federal government borrows and prints money to
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  “Senior care leads in healthcare bankruptcies,” by Kathleen Steele Gaivin, McKnights Senior Living “Senior care bankruptcies, combined with pharmaceuticals, made up almost half of Chapter 11 bankruptcies in healthcare over the past three quarters, according to a report from Gibbins Investors published Wednesday. The analysis examined skilled nursing facilities, independent living communities,  assisted living communities and continuing care retirement / life plan communities, among other types of healthcare-related entities. … Jeremy R. Johnson, a restructuring attorney at Polsinelli, told McKnight’s Senior Living earlier this week that the problems in the long-term care industry are extensive, particularly in CCRCs.” LTC Comment, Stephen A.
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  “Study shows LTC costs are seniors’ No. 1 health concern, but expert says no help in sight,” by Jessica R. Towhey, McKnights LTC News “The number one health-related policy concern of older adults in the United States is the cost of long-term care, but a former US congressman and insurance commissioner said there is little political appetite for the kind of changes necessary to tackle this growing problem. … ‘This remains a substantial unmet need to American families,’ former US Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) told McKnight’s Long-Term Care News in a phone interview Tuesday. ‘Lower income families have Medicaid and, for the
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  “MA penetration expected to top 64% by 2034, analysis finds,” by Adam Healy, McKnights Home Care “Growing Medicare Advantage enrollment shows no signs of slowing down, according to a new analysis by KFF. Meanwhile, home health providers continue to struggle under inadequate payment rates offered by MA payers. … Many home care providers have reported challenges as a result of rising MA penetration. MA plans generally pay far less for home health services compared with traditional Medicare.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: Is traditional Medicare on the way out? How will home care fare?  
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  “Homebound MA beneficiaries have higher readmission, mortality risk, study finds,” by Adam Healy, McKnights Home Care “Medicare Advantage members who reside primarily at home are at a heightened risk of hospital admission, frailty and mortality, according to a new study. … Homebound status was associated with greater odds that a beneficiary would be admitted to an emergency department, inpatient hospital or skilled nursing facility, according to the study. Individuals who were homebound also had higher mortality rates, on average, compared with beneficiaries who were not. Some individuals were more likely to be homebound than others, the researchers found. Women, low-income people,
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