“Medicaid is hemorrhaging $100B on Americans ineligible for the program,” by Brian Blase, New York Post   Quote: “The federal government’s improper Medicaid payments now exceed $100 billion a year. This means that more than one-in-four dollars flowing out of Medicaid — our nation’s third-largest government program — do not meet program rules. This staggering failure doesn’t just reduce health-care access for the truly eligible, it also harms taxpayers who fund it.” LTC Comment: This is an excellent piece by my co-author of “Nursing Homes, Coronavirus and Medicaid,” published June 1, 2020, in the Wall Street Journal. The problem of
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“Nursing home residents could start receiving COVID vaccines in about 2 weeks,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Nursing home residents could be just a little more than two weeks away from receiving the first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to federal health officials.” LTC Comment: In other news, essential workers caring for nursing home residents will have even higher priority to receive the vaccine than their patients. Some are striking for better pay and conditions.  
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“89 percent of families with loved ones in long-term care facilities consider home care: survey,” by Joe Jancsurak, McKnight’s Senior Living   Quote: “Eighty-nine percent of families with loved ones living in nursing homes or assisted living communities who participated in a new survey said they have considered switching to in-home care due to the coronavirus pandemic. That’s just one finding from the Care.com COVID-19 Senior Care Survey of 1,000 U.S. adults with older loved ones receiving professional care.” LTC Comment: Hello, LTCI producers. Are you paying attention? The pandemic is doing what decades of Medicaid rebalancing couldn’t—waking up the public to the importance
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“How to Save Money on Assisted Living Costs,” by Heidi Godman, U.S. News & World Report   Quote: “Some people are able to knock down assisted living costs with contributions from Medicaid (if a facility accepts it), veterans benefits or long-term care insurance policies. And there other ways to save money on assisted living costs as well.” LTC Comment: Click through for ways to save money on assisted living. But the best way to save money remains to leverage against the risk and cost of LTC by means of private insurance. That’s the biggest bang for the buck if you end up needing
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“Higher Medicare Premiums For 2021 Announced, Topping Out At $504.90,” by Bob Carlson, Forbes   Quote: “Medicare premiums and other costs will increase in 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced. But the CMS reported earlier that premiums for the private sector version, Medicare Advantage plans, will decline for 2021. … The IRMAA rises as adjusted gross income increases. The maximum IRMAA in 2021 will be $356.40, bringing the total monthly cost for Part B to $504.90 for those in that bracket.” LTC Comment: OMG, IRMAAgod!  
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“CalPERS approves 90% price increase for long term care insurance plans,” by Wes Venteicher, Sacramento Bee   Quote: “CalPERS leaders approved a 90% premium increase for its long term care insurance plans Tuesday, seven years after the announcement of a similar increase spurred a lawsuit. The new rates will be introduced over two years, with a 52% hike coming in July 2021 and a 25% increase in July 2022, Chief Health Director Don Moulds told the California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s board Tuesday. Compounded, the rate of increase is 90% over the two years.” LTC Comment: Therein lies a lesson
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“Where Are the Gray Panthers,” by Steve Monroe, The Senior Care Investor   Quote: “Where are the Gray Panthers when you need them? Many of you may not remember this 1970s activist group that got its start when someone really objected to forced retirement at 65. This was a full 50 years ago today. “As winter approaches and senior living providers prepare for another round of potential shutdowns, lockdowns, admission and tour bans because this pandemic is not going away, when will our senior citizens rise up and revolt? Senior living communities are ‘their’ homes, and it is about time
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  “‘Big, big changes’ coming to nursing home regulation thanks to pandemic’s destruction, Grabowski says,” by Liza Berger, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “One of the biggest problems the pandemic has revealed is the lack of investment in staff, from poor pay to lack of personal protective equipment and testing, he said. Nursing homes need to provide hazard pay, a living wage and non-punitive sick leave to staff, among other benefits. He noted that the death count among staff has surpassed that of logging workers and commercial fishermen — the two most dangerous professions in the United States before the
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  “28% Growth in Medicare Advantage Plans Led By Senior Housing and Care Providers,” by Tim Mullaney, Senior Housing News   Quote: “An increasing number of senior living and care providers are launching Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, pursuing potential clinical and financial benefits despite new challenges posed by Covid-19. In 2020, 76 Medicare Advantage special needs plans (SNPs) were directly owned by senior housing and care providers, including skilled nursing and assisted living companies. For plan year 2021, that number increased to 98 plans, according to newly released data from ATI Advisory.”     LTC Comment: Medicaid-dependent SNFs running MA
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  “70 percent of long-term care claims begin with home care,” by Joe Jancsurak, McKnight’s Senior Living Quote: “Seventy percent of 2019 long-term care insurance policy claimants received initial benefit payments for care at home, according to the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance. That 70% represents a 52% increase over 2014 claims data as reported by the AALTCI. And the percentage likely will increase. ‘COVID-19 has made individuals increasingly desirous of the ability to remain at home, and more insurance professionals are focusing on the home care benefits available,’ AALTCI Director Jesse Slome said.”     LTC Comment:  
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