“Out-of-Pocket Costs for Medicare Recipients Will Rise in New Year,” by Dennis Thompson, U.S. News & World Report   Quote: “Seniors on Medicare are going to take a hit to the pocketbook in 2020, with premiums and deductibles set to increase on coverage for medical services and prescription drugs. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will rise $9.10, to $144 a month, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced. The annual deductible for Part B also will increase $13 to $198 per year, CMS said. Both increases are relatively large compared to 2019, when the
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“The Hidden Drug Epidemic Among Older People,” by Jane E. Brody, New York Times   Quote: “While news reports focus on an epidemic of opioid abuse among young adults, another totally legal and usually hidden drug epidemic is occurring at the other end of the age spectrum: the fistfuls of remedies — both prescription and over-the-counter — taken by older adults. According to the American Association of Consultant Pharmacists, people aged 65 to 69 take an average of 15 prescriptions a year, and those aged 80 to 84 take 18 prescriptions a year. And that’s in addition to the myriad
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“An ‘Epidemic of Loneliness’ in America? Maybe Not,” by Amy Norton, US News & World Report   Quote: “Despite media stories about a ‘loneliness epidemic’ plaguing the elderly, two new studies find that they feel no more lonely than their peers from past generations. The studies — one in the United States, one in the Netherlands — reached the same basic conclusion: Yes, people tend to feel more lonely after age 75 or so. But today’s older adults are no more likely to feel isolated or lacking in companionship than previous generations.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
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“Canada Throws China Oceanwide-Genworth Deal a Lifeline,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor   Quote: “Canadian regulators have made a decision that could increase the odds that Genworth Financial Inc. will be able to sell itself to China Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. — or that Genworth will have the cash to survive on its own if the China Oceanwide deal falls through.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Frustratingly slow, but progress nonetheless.
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“Move from fee-for-service to managed care ‘a disaster’ for long-term care, Parkinson says,” by Liza Berger, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Changing payment models have made the last decade ‘an incredibly bad time’ for long-term care in many ways, the leader of the nation’s largest nursing home group said Monday. Mark Parkinson, the president and CEO of the American Health Care Association, made the damning assessment during opening remarks at AHCA’s inaugural population health summit. Over the last 10 years, the change has been ‘seismic,’ he noted, pointing out that in 2010, over 70% of post-acute volume was fee-for-service and
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“The Medicare Change That Could Cost Your Clients Thousands of Dollars,” by Margie Barrie, ThinkAdvisor   Quote: “After Dr. B leaves, the case manager calls me on my cell phone and insists that we sign the form. I reply that we need the status to be changed to admitted. She says it is the responsibility of the admitting doctor. I explain that the admitting doctor said it was her responsibility. At that point, I mention that I write a column in a national newsletter that has a large circulation.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term
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“Alzheimer’s incidence varies significantly by location,” Healio   Quote: “Research published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society highlighted significant geographic variation in the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the United States. … The researchers found that the overall diagnosed incidence of Alzheimer’s disease decreased from 1.53% in 2007 to 1.09% in 2014, with similar trends for most population areas. Rates of incidence in 2014 ranged from 0% to more than 3% across population areas. Areas of the Midwest and South experienced the highest observed incidence rates. Desai and colleagues noted that little of the geographic variation can be explained by statistical
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“Bill would let people tap retirement accounts for long-term care insurance,” by Lois A. Bowers, McKnight’s Senior Living   Quote: “Individuals would be allowed to withdraw up to $2,000 per year, tax-free, from their retirement accounts to pay for long-term care insurance to fund long-term services and supports under a bill proposed by Sen. Patrick Toomey (R-PA).”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Senator Toomey’s staff reached out to me for comments on the bill. I said I support it as it will increase affordability for LTCI and expand the buyer base. But I added
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“Assisted living threatened by looming federal expirations,” by Lois A. Bowers, McKnight’s Senior Living,    Quote: “A federal rule provision and a federal program, both of which help enable older adults to live in assisted living or at home rather than in nursing homes, are set to expire Dec. 31 unless Congress acts.”   LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Perfect follow up to the clipping we just sent because this makes it explicit that these two programs, possibly expiring soon, are the reason Medicaid census in assisted living facilities has leaped to 20%.
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Medicaid initiatives that push long-term home, community care over nursing homes could end this year,” by Danielle Brown, McKnight’s LTC News   Quote: “Funding deadlines are nearing for two initiatives that encourage Medicaid beneficiaries to use long-term home and community care, according to two Kaiser Family Foundation reports. The short-term funding extension for Medicaid’s Money Follows the Person (MFP) program and the spousal impoverishment provision under the Affordable Care Act are both set to expire Dec. 31. States receive enhanced federal matching funds to help seniors and people with disabilities move from institutions to the community through the MFP program,
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