“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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