“How Your Stimulus Check Affects Medicaid Eligibility,” ElderLawAnswers   Quote: “The coronavirus relief bill includes a direct payment to most Americans, but this has Medicaid recipients wondering how the payment will affect them. Because the payment is not income, it should not count against a Medicaid recipient’s eligibility.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Another taxpayer funded windfall for Medicaid planners      
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“The Economics of Lockdowns,” Cato Institute   Quote: “The COVID-19 pandemic has had dire effects on both public health and the economy. In reaction to the virus’s spread, many states have implemented stay‐​at‐​home orders and closures of all ‘nonessential businesses.’ And national lockdowns have been mandated all over Europe. These lockdowns raise all sorts of important economic questions: How much of the coming downturn will be driven by government shutdowns as opposed to the changing consumer and producer behavior we’d expect because of the virus? What will be the net consequences of lockdowns for economic welfare? What factors determine the
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“Pandemic Delays Federal Probe Into Medicare Advantage Health Plans,” by Fred Schulte, Kaiser Health News   Quote: “Federal health officials, citing a need to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic, have temporarily halted some efforts to recover hundreds of millions of dollars in overpayments made to Medicare Advantage health plans. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says the decision will allow insurers and the agency to ‘focus on patient care,’ and will last ‘until after the public health emergency has ended.’ Critics aren’t convinced that’s a wise idea.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care
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“China Oceanwide Renews Genworth Deal Financing Arrangement,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor     Quote: “Genworth Financial Inc. says its would-be buyer, China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd., has confirmed having one part of the deal financing in place and is now working on finalizing the rest of the financing. China Oceanwide agreed to pay a total of $2.7 billion for Genworth in October 2016.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): The finish line?      
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“Feds relax Medicare Advantage regulations amid pandemic,” by Bob Herman, Axios     Quote: “Federal payments to Medicare Advantage companies will increase by 1.66% in 2021, and several of the insurance program’s policies are being waived or changed due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said Monday. The bottom line: Medicare Advantage continues to grow at a lofty rate, and the Trump administration is protecting those health insurers through the pandemic and into next year. Between the lines:New regulatory changes, issued due to the coronavirus, are arguably more important than the payment increase.”    
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“The Real Reasons People Decide to Buy Long-Term Care Insurance,” by Dennis Ho, Kiplinger   Quote: “Before you dig into costs, benefits and contingency plans, step back and look at the big picture. This decision is bigger than budgets and life-expectancy tables. It’s about your family and your wishes for them as well as yourself. Reason 1: I don’t want my care to become a burden to my family. Reason 2: I want to ensure I save what I’ll need for retirement – and protect my hard-earned assets. Reason 3: I want to ensure I have choices when it comes
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“Here’s Why Genworth Financial Is Soaring Today,” by Matthew Frankel, Motley Fool   Quote: “Thursday is shaping up to be a relatively calm day for the stock market, but one stock that is seeing a major upside move is Genworth Financial (NYSE:GNW). As of 10:45 EDT, the mortgage and long-term care insurance company was higher by nearly 16%. … The company issued an update to shareholders Wednesday afternoon, stating that China Oceanwide has informed them that the $1.8 billion financing arrangement they’re relying on has been successfully extended through the end of June, which is the current deadline for the transaction to
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“CMS waives nurse-aide training, certification requirements,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Nursing homes in need of more direct-care workers have received a big boost from federal regulators. A rule that says new aides cannot work longer than four months without becoming certified has been waived by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The vital staffing decision was a part of a set of blanket waivers applauded by operators, many of whom are facing staffing shortages as the pandemic continues to create thousands of new COVID-19 patients every day.”     LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
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“Moderate drinkers have lower amyloid-beta levels, study finds,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Individuals who moderately consume alcohol throughout their lifetimes show fewer deposits of dementia-associated amyloid-beta in brain scans, according to Korean researchers. Investigators interviewed more than 400 dementia-free men and women from age 56 to 90 about their drinking habits. All participated in brain scans, physical exams and cognitive testing. Participants who drank one to 13 standard drinks a week had a 66% lower rate of amyloid-beta deposits than a cohort who abstained from drinking. Standard drinks were defined as any drink that contained 10 grams
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“LTC providers getting creative to boost seniors’ morale during pandemic,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “From FaceTime book clubs to hobby boxes, long-term care providers are finding fun and interesting ways to boost resident morale during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the AARP. As visitor access, communal dining and large group activities in long-term care facilities have been forced to shut down to stop the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus, providers have come up with creative ways to keep seniors engaged and prevent isolation. Numerous state and national provider organizations have created online repositories for helpful
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