“The Risk of Coverage Loss for Medicaid Beneficiaries as the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends,” Commonwealth Fund Quote: “States are required to keep people enrolled in Medicaid throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) as a condition of receiving a temporary increase in the federal share of Medicaid costs. When the PHE ends — currently slated for December 2021, but could be extended — the enhanced federal funding will end and states will resume administering renewals for Medicaid eligibility, some of which have been pending for more than 16 months. Nearly all 80 million people enrolled in Medicaid will have their eligibility redetermined, triggering a
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“Medicare Advantage premiums to decline slightly in 2022, Part D to rise by nearly 5%,” by Robert King, Fierce Healthcare Quote: “Average Medicare Advantage plan premiums are expected to hit $19 per month next year, a slight decline from the $21.22 in 2021. But Medicare Part D plan premiums will continue to increase by nearly 5% to $33 next year compared to the current premium of $31.47, new federal data show. The premium data, released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), also come with a projection that MA enrollment will reach 29.5 million next year, compared
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“AP-NORC poll: Virus fears linger for vaccinated older adults,” by Matt Sedensky, Associated Press Quote: “As the virus’ delta variant has fueled new waves of infection, the poll of people age 50 or older found 36% are very or extremely worried that they or a family member will be infected, roughly doubled since June. The increase is fueled by the vaccinated, who are especially likely to be highly worried. Just 25% of vaccinated Americans, but 61% of unvaccinated Americans, say they are not worried.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: Go figure.          
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“Long-Term Care Planning: What Advisors Should Know,” by Ginger Szala, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “Long-term care planning should start as soon as someone is diagnosed with dementia. … Therefore, the family needs to plan for a minimum of two years of care, at a cost $100,000 a year or more, and ‘they should have a cushion at the end of $500,000.’ Further, Medicaid has a five-year lookback, so ‘as soon as someone is diagnosed with dementia, that’s when you need to start the planning.’ Regarding long-term care insurance, McClanahan noted that policies today have had ‘devastating premium increases,’ but the general premise
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“Long-Term Care Planning: What Advisors Should Know,” by Ginger Szala, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “The financial situation of the long-term care insurance fund is apparently precarious due to the additional costs caused by the Corona pandemic. According to a media report, the providers of long-term care insurance are facing a gap of billions of euros. The ‘Bild’ newspaper reports that the nursing care insurance fund urgently needs a financial injection from the Federal Ministry of Finance.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: We anticipated this problem in “LTC Bullet–LTCI in Germany,” August 15, 2002: “[A]fter only seven
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“The nursing care insurance fund is apparently threatened with insolvency,” by Florence Jenkins, The Germany Eye Quote: “The financial situation of the long-term care insurance fund is apparently precarious due to the additional costs caused by the Corona pandemic. According to a media report, the providers of long-term care insurance are facing a gap of billions of euros. The ‘Bild’ newspaper reports that the nursing care insurance fund urgently needs a financial injection from the Federal Ministry of Finance.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: We anticipated this problem in “LTC Bullet–LTCI in Germany,” August
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“Opt-out direction, updates, and good and bad news concerning long-term-care law,” by Elizabeth Hovde, Washington Policy Center Quote: “A newly created long-term-care program in Washington state does not guarantee workers ‘long-term’ care. In its most recent meeting, state commission members acknowledged that the WA Cares Fund’s lifetime benefit of $36,500 will offer only partial help with most individuals’ long-term-care needs. … Several lawmakers and commission members are asking good questions about the law’s details and implementation. That’s encouraging. Not encouraging is a glossy marketing campaign full of false hope and a lack of information. The state’s ads for the  program that W2 workers are
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“Why the Cost of Long-Term Care Is Out of Reach for the Middle Class,” by Liz Seegert, Next Avenue Quote: “Most people in the $25,000 to $95,000 income bracket are considered middle-income; they usually cannot afford to pay privately for long-term care. Instead, they must rely on a network of family, friends, community-based services and luck. A majority don’t have long-term care insurance, which could offset some of the cost of non-medical care.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: This article perfectly encapsulates the “fallacy of impoverishment” that stands in the way of understanding and
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“The Next Medicaid Blowout,” by Brian Blase, Wall Street Journal Quote: “‘Medicaid now covers 1 in 4 Americans, but Congress may soon lock even more into an expensive program with inadequate access to doctors and poor health outcomes,’ Brian Blase writes today in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, ‘The Next Medicaid Blowout.’” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: For those who do not have a Wall Street Journal subscription, the link above will take you to a summary on the Galen Institute’s website of Brian’s op-ed in today’s WSJ. I am proud to have co-authored
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“Annexus to Offer Social Security Uncertainty Protection,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “Annexus — a large annuity distributor — plans to offer consumers a new tool they can use to protect themselves against Social Security retirement income disruption. The Scottsdale, Arizona-based company has agreed to work with PlanGap to add a Social Security income disruption rider to non-variable annuities. The rider can pay an annuity holder a bonus if Social Security program changes slash benefits.” LTC Comment, Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform: What’s next? Private insurance to protect you from the collapse of Medicaid LTC? The
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