“Long-Term Care Costs,” by Douglas Holtz-Eakin, The Daily Dish   Quote: “Making good policy also good politics is hard. But sometimes good policy is just hard all by itself. Designing a tax reform? Easy. Making Social Security sustainable and reducing the growth of debt? Did it in one Metro ride. Immigration reform to bolster economic growth, while preserving border security, a commitment to families, and welcoming arms for refugees? Hard. Health care reform that provides more insurance coverage, higher value care, and reduced growth in entitlement spending. Really, really hard. Financing the future growth of long-term care support and services?
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“Mediterranean diet improves gut health in elders; tied to lower frailty,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Elders who adhered to the diet had an increased amount of the gut flora that are associated with lower frailty risk and improved cognitive function. In addition, these healthy gut microorganisms are linked to a lower risk of disease-associated inflammation, said Paul W. O’Toole, Ph.D., from University College Cork, Ireland. Age and body mass index did not appear to affect the results. … The traditional Mediterranean diet includes large amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, beans and grains, as well as olive
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“GE’s Long-Term-Care Insurance Liability Is a Non-Issue in 2020,” by Al Root, Barron’s   Quote: “General Electric CEO Larry Culp made an important insurance disclosure at an investor conference Wednesday. It’s good news for the company. The reserve shortfall for the company’s legacy long- term-care insurance book of business is far smaller than expected.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Good GE-LTCI news for a change.  
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“VA Health Care: Veterans’ Use of Long-Term Care Is Increasing, and VA Faces Challenges in Meeting the Demand,” Government Accountability Office (GAO)   Quote: “Veterans rely on long-term care from the VA for everything from occasional help around the house to round-the-clock care. Eligibility is primarily based on the extent of a service-connected disability. Demand for long-term care increased 14% and VA’s expected spending went up 33% from FY 2014-2018. VA projects demand will continue to increase and spending will double by 2037. VA faces 3 key challenges to meeting long-term care needs: finding enough workers, providing care where geographically
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“Medicare Advantage enrollment swells,” by Bob Herman, Axios   Quote: “Roughly 24.4 million seniors and people with disabilities were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of this month, a 9.4% jump from the same time in 2019, according to the latest federal data analyzed by Axios. … he 9.4% annual enrollment growth is well above the 6.8% growth rate in 2019, and people flocked to pretty much every insurer selling Medicare Advantage plans this past season — from startups to well-established carriers.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): MA rising.    
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“A VA Program Can Help War Veterans Pay For Long-Term Care, But Applying For It Can Be An Ordeal,” by Stephanie Colombini, Texas Public Radio   Quote: “The VA Aid and Attendance benefit can help some vets and spouses pay for nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home health care. But the application process is often long and complicated. … The recipients must have a net worth less than $129,094, including most assets [home is exempt] and annual household income, minus medical expenses not covered by insurance. … Potential recipients need doctors to verify that they are physically or mentally incapable of
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“By 2060, a quarter of U.S. residents will be over age 65,” by Mike Schneider, Associated Press   Quote: “By 2060, almost a quarter of all U.S. residents will be over age 65, and life expectancy will reach an all-time high of 85 years, according to new reports the U.S. Census Bureau released Thursday.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): When life expectancy was 65, the government started Social Security and look what happened. The program is bankrupt just as the elderly population explodes. Now that life expectancy will be 85, the age at
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“Combining Life and Long-Term Care Insurance,” by Rebecca Lake, Yahoo! Finance   Quote: “The long-term care part of the policy pays out money to cover nursing care expenses if you need long-term care. You may need to be diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness for the rider to kick in, but once it does, your policy would pay for covered long-term care costs up to the policy limits. There may be limits on both the dollar amount paid out and how long benefits are paid, i.e. two years, three years or a different time frame.” LTC Comment (from Stephen
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“Long-Term Care Annuities: Pros and Cons,” by Rebecca Lake, Yahoo! Finance   Quote: “A long-term care annuity is a deferred annuity that includes a long-term care rider. A rider is essentially an add-on you can include when purchasing an annuity that offers extra features or benefits. You purchase the annuity with the long-term care rider and when you eventually need long-term care, you can begin receiving payments to help with those expenses. Payments can be made to you monthly or as a lump sum. Your annuity company can give you the money to use as needed or reimburse you after the fact
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“Feds Probing How Personal Medicare Info Gets to Marketers,” by The Associated Press, New York Times   Quote: “A government watchdog is launching a nationwide probe into how marketers may be getting seniors’ personal Medicare information aided by apparent misuse of a government system, officials said Friday. … The watchdog agency’s decision comes amid a wave of relentlessly efficient telemarketing scams targeting Medicare recipients and involving everything from back braces to DNA cheek swabs.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): One more Medicare thing to worry about.    
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