“Long Term Care Insurance — Act Now!,” by Terry Savage, TerrySavage.com Quote: “One of the most tragic aspects of the coronavirus pandemic is that as of June 3, 42% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have come from nursing homes or assisted-living facilities. The statistics reinforce every senior’s desire to remain at home in his or her final years, which is only possible if you have the resources to afford this very expensive home health care — or if you have long-term care (LTC) insurance. Otherwise, state Medicaid programs provide care for the impoverished, though mostly in institutions. Perhaps
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“‘Sin Taxes’ Could Help States in Pandemic Budget Slump (at Least a Little Bit),” by Elaine S. Povich, Quote: “Gas tax revenue plummeted this spring, income taxes won’t rebound anytime soon and some states are offering a property tax holiday because people can’t pay during the pandemic. But so-called sin taxes are rolling in as liquor stores boom, marijuana sales continue, vapers vape and smokers smoke. …Taxes on those items often are more politically palatable because they generally affect a smaller portion of the population and the purchases are seen more as a choice than a necessity.” LTC Comment (from
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“Long-term care facilities as a risk factor in death from COVID-19,” by Neil Gandal, Matan Yonas, Michal Feldman, Ady Pauzner, and Avraham Tabbach, Vox Quote: “COVID-19 deaths rates vary widely across European countries, from as low as 5 deaths per million in Slovakia to as high as 760 deaths per million in Belgium (as of May 13). Using data on 32 countries from the WHO European Health Information Gateway, this column shows that the COVID -19 death rate is higher in countries with more long-term care beds. This provides evidence that living in long-term care facilities is a significant risk factor
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“The Future of Nursing Homes in the Post-COVID-19 Era,” by Robert Mauterstock, The Street Quote: “What have we learned from Kirkland and nursing homes around the country? – Nursing homes are very vulnerable to people bringing in the virus from the outside – Nursing home residents are the most vulnerable population for COVID-19 – Nursing home residents are easy targets for the fast spread of the virus – The death rate is very high among the elderly population. (According to the CDC, 8 out of 10 deaths reported in the U.S. are people over age 65)” LTC Comment (from Stephen
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“Why the coronavirus has taken so many lives in US nursing homes,” by Dylan Scott, Vox Quote: “America has done a poor job funding and overseeing long-term care for decades, and there had not been adequate emergency planning for a crisis like the US is experiencing now with the coronavirus. And once the virus got here, the lack of a national strategy to ramp up Covid-19 testing in nursing homes and to provide protective equipment to staff made it easier for the virus to spread in these densely populated settings. Some state-level policy decisions, particularly to transfer recently recovered Covid-19
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“What to Consider Before Moving a Parent Into Assisted Living During COVID-19,” by Andrea Cooper, Next Avenue   Quote: “Moving a parent into assisted living is an emotional decision in normal times. These days, families have to make especially complex calculations in the shadow of a virus that’s proven especially lethal for elders. About 45% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. have occurred in long-term care facilities, according to The Kaiser Family Foundation. Most of the widely reported outbreaks have been in nursing homes, which differ substantially from assisted living communities. … Concerns about moving into assisted living in 2020
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“The Road Map to Maximizing Long Term Medicaid Coverage During the COVID-19 Emergency,” by Nancy Levitin and Gregory Choi, Provider   Quote: “For now, applicants and their representative need only attest to the fact that the financial eligibility criteria of New York’s Medicaid program are met to qualify for medical assistance. Facility representatives can now sign applications on behalf of their residents and simply note that they are signing ‘due to the COVID-19 Emergency.’ … Any loss of Medicaid eligibility during the COVID-19 Emergency should be challenged, and a request made for coverage to be retroactively restored. … Additionally, the CARES Act
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