“MedPAC Commissioner: Underfunding Turns Medicaid-Heavy SNFs into ‘7th Circle of Hell’,” by Maggie Flynn, Skilled Nursing News   Quote: “The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) once again advised that Medicare’s payments for skilled nursing facilities are too high — but also acknowledged the challenges for providers caused by low Medicaid reimbursement. A presentation by Dr. Carol Carter delivered to MedPAC on December 5 examined Medicare margins for SNFs amid the larger contexts of beneficiary access to care, quality-of-care indicators, access to capital markets, and changes in Medicare costs and payments. While Medicare margins for SNFs remain high, with an aggregate margin of
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“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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