“Caring for elderly parents can put a dent in your budget,” by Sarah O’Brien, CNBC Quote: “The biggest monthly expenses for caregivers are medicine and medical supplies ($273), food ($159) and personal-care items ($151). About half of current and past caregivers did not know in advance that they would be stepping into that role. In advance of finding yourself in that situation, whether expected or not, it’s worth having a conversation with your parents about how they envision their care if they reach a point where they no longer can care for themselves.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President,
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“DNA and Long-Term-Care Insurance,” by Ben Mattlin, Financial Advisor Quote: “With the easy availability of personal genetic information through companies such as 23andMe, more and more people are discovering not just their ancestral histories but their own exact DNA makeup, including their likelihood of contracting certain illnesses. While that may be good news for consumers, the implications for insurance carriers are not so clear. Foreknowledge of future health issues can be a double-edged sword, particularly in the long-term-care (LTC) insurance business.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  Long article on a very difficult problem.
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“U.S. government sets 3.40 percent hike in 2019 payments to Medicare insurers,” by Bill Berkrot and Caroline Humer, Reuters Quote: “The U.S. government on Monday said it would increase by 3.40 percent on average 2019 payments to the health insurers that manage Medicare Advantage insurance plans for seniors and the disabled, a higher-than-expected rise reflecting a projection of higher medical cost growth. The rate, which affects how much insurers charge for monthly healthcare premiums, plan benefits and, ultimately, how much they profit, represents an increase over the 1.84 percent increase proposed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
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“’Aggressive’ advance directive would allow patients to decline food, water at end of dementia battle,” by Kimberly Marselas, McKnight’s LTC News Quote: “A New York group that supports aid-in-dying has approved a new document allowing patients to record in advance that they’ll want to stop eating and drinking if they develop severe dementia. … Now questions are swirling about the directive’s legal standing, and if it is determined legal after almost-certain court battles, whether private facilities would agree to accept it.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  That’s one way to reduce long-term care. Aggressive’
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