“Medicare reform can no longer be ignored: Warnings from the 2019 Medicare trustees report,” by Joseph Antos and Robert E. Moffit, AEI Economic Perspectives “The latest annual Medicare trustees report highlights the program’s growing fiscal challenge and reflects policymakers’ ongoing failure to prepare Medicare for the future. Program spending on a per-beneficiary basis rose sharply in 2018 and is anticipated to accelerate with the influx of baby boomers turning age 65 and rising health care costs. Medicare’s Hospital Insurance (or Part A) trust fund becomes insolvent in 2026, but the program is already in trouble from a budget perspective. More
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“Artificial Intelligence Models Identify Alzheimer’s Cognitive Decline,” by Jessica Kent, Health IT Analytics “A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed artificial intelligence tools to determine whether patients at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease will experience cognitive decline. The algorithm was able to predict patient cognition test scores up to two years in the future.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Algorithms make better diagnoses than medical doctors. Why shouldn’t they predict Alzheimer’s?      
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“Scientists rethink Alzheimer’s, diversifying the drug search,” by Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press “For years researchers have been guided by one leading theory — that getting rid of a buildup of a sticky protein called amyloid would ease the mind-robbing disease. Yet drug after drug has failed. They might clear out the gunk, but they’re not stopping Alzheimer’s inevitable worsening. The new mantra: diversify. With more money — the government had a record $2.4 billion to spend on Alzheimer’s research this year — the focus has shifted to exploring multiple novel ways of attacking a disease now considered too complex for
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“AHIP Backs Four Options for Long Term Care Reform,” by Kelsey Waddill, Health Payer Intelligence “America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) published its letter to the Federal Interagency Task Force on Long-Term Care Insurance (Task Force) agreeing with their decision to address long-term care insurance (LTCI) and offering suggestions on federal policy options related to LTCI. … AHIP lauded the Task Force’s mission in a letter responding to request for public comment. The payer organization then laid out four LTCI reforms from the 2017 federal policy options that the organization believes the Task Force should pursue.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
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“How to mitigate risk when a resident needs a higher level of care,” by Brian McGovern, McKnight’s Senior Living “One of the primary reasons an older adult chooses to move to a life plan community (also known as a continuing care retirement community) is the security of knowing one can access a higher level of care — be it assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing — on the same campus should care needs become more pronounced during the remainder of his or her life. … Over that same time frame, however, the resident often will become attached to the
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“Phishers Are Using the NAIC Logo to Hook Producers,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor “Cyber criminals have come up with a new strategy for getting insurance agents and brokers to click on dangerous links: They convey the idea that they’re insurance industry insiders by referring both to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and to the NAIC’s Center for Insurance Policy and Research (CIPR). The NAIC has posted an alert about the NAIC-based phishing strategy at the top of its start page, LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): Don’t get hooked.      
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“Elderly should consider residential care before health crisis hits: study,” by Alicia Lasek, McKnight’s LTC News “Considering a move to a long-term care or senior living community can help elderly adults ensure that their needs are met when a health crisis hits, say gerontologists from the University of East Anglia, Britain. … In most cases, the elders were found to have had little input in the process. In addition, their family members and caregivers reported being traumatized by the events leading up to the move. In the end, some elders said that they were not happy with the decisions made
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“SCAN Survey Reveals Majority of Seniors Are Not Adequately Prepared to Age in Place,” SCAN Health Plan “SCAN Health Plan®, one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage health plans, today announced results from its national survey on aging in place. Responses from 1,000 U.S. adults ages 65 and older indicate that 62% believe most seniors they know are unlikely to be able to safely age in place. … Seeing their peers unable to live life on their own terms, seniors are rethinking their own readiness to age in place. In assessing people they know, 67% of seniors cite changes to physical
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“How to Fix the Global Retirement Crisis,” by Reshma Kapadia, Barron’s “The idea of moving into a nursing home is abhorrent to most Americans, but many older Swedes have to lobby to get into one. Aging parents in the U.S. may remind their adult children to visit them, but China requires it by law. Visit playgrounds in Japan and you’ll find elder-friendly fitness equipment instead of monkey bars and slides. We are at the beginning of a global aging boom—and countries all over the world are facing the same challenges. Some are coming up with creative ways to address the
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