“Automatic Adjustments Within Entitlement Programs: A Look at the Swedish Pension Reform Model,” by James C. Capretta, American Enterprise Institute Quote: “The United States has significant fiscal challenges due to population aging. While the finances of all advanced economies are under pressure from similar demographic trends, some countries have responded more aggressively and creatively to the problem than have US political leaders. In 1998, Sweden enacted a reform of its public pension system that combines a defined-contribution approach with a traditional pay-as-you-go financing structure. The new system includes better work incentives and is more transparent to participants. It is also
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“How much do retirees really depend on Social Security? Far less than you’d think,” by Andrew G. Biggs, American Enterprise Institute Quote: “The reality is that relatively few retirees – only about one in seven – receive all or nearly all of their income from Social Security. Others are far less dependent on the program. That doesn’t mean we can slash benefits indiscriminately to restore Social Security’s solvency; see here for how I would do it. But it does mean we shouldn’t let inaccurate data inform our decisions on how to fix Social Security.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center
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“Why Are the New Hybrid LTC Policies So Popular?,” by Romeo Raabe, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “Hybrid insurance policies for long-term care (LTC) are very popular and becoming more so each year. Let’s look at some of the reasons why.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  Brand new piece by Center for Long-Term Care Reform member, Romeo Raabe. Why Are the New Hybrid LTC Policies So Popular? #hybrid #goldencareagent
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“Medicare’s condition-specific readmission measures are poor reflectors of hospital quality,” by Caitlyn Hui and Deepti Shroff, 2 Minute Medicine Quote: “Medicare’s condition-specific readmission measures are poor reflectors of hospital quality,” by Caitlyn Hui and Deepti Shroff, 2 Minute Medicine LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  Herein lies the fundamental flaw in the movement to replace fee-for-service medicine with value-based reimbursement. Value is impossible to measure objectively and payments end up based on political cronyism. The only true measure of value is what people are willing to pay when spending their own money, including funds
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“How to figure out elder care for your aging parent,” by Tamara E. Holmes, USA Today Quote: “‘Knowing that we couldn’t do anything for my dad, I was like, ‘let’s do something for mom,’ Mancuso says. So he and his wife Erica purchased a long-term care policy for his mother. ‘I’d rather spend money on a monthly premium today,’ Mancuso says. ‘Maybe she’ll never need it, but I know what I’m spending monthly today is probably what a day or two of help would be down the road.’” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform): 
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“Shift in Long-Term Care Planning Shapes ILTCI Meeting,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “Issuers of stand-alone long-term care insurance (LTCI) continue to support the Intercompany Long-Term Care Insurance Conference, but long-term care hybrids and alternatives seem to have the momentum. ILTCI organizers today completed their 18th annual conference in Las Vegas. The list of sponsors at the three-day event included many of the insurers still in the stand-alone LTCI market.” LTC Comment (from Damon V. Moses, Administrative Coordinator Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  It was another excellent ILTCI event. If you missed the conference, click the article link for session
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“HSA use increasing among those under 65,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “U.S. residents’ use of public and private health coverage stayed about the same between 2016 and the first three quarters of 2017, but use of health savings accounts (HSAs) may have climbed 15 percent. The number of U.S. residents under the age of 65 who had HSAs increased to 17.9 million in 2017, from 15.5 million in 2016, according to new National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  Many will use the HSAs to fund the next generation of LTCI after Medicaid stops subsidizing
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“Alzheimer’s Death Rate Continues to Rise: CDC,” by Allison Bell, ThinkAdvisor Quote: “The official age-adjusted U.S. death rate from Alzheimer’s disease continues to creep up. The Alzheimer’s death rate for the 12-month period ending in the third quarter of 2017 increased to 30.9 per 100,000 people, up from 29.9 per 100,000 people for the comparable period in 2016. Analysts at the National Center for Health Statistics, an arm of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC), have reported those figures in a selection of mortality data for the third quarter.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President Center for
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“Key Points for Long-Term Care Insurance Purchases,” FedWeek Quote: “Benefit period. Pay for a policy that will provide at least three years of coverage. You also should have a plan to transfer assets and eventually qualify for Medicaid after a three-year waiting period.” LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President Center for Long-Term Care Reform):  The transfer of assets look back period for Medicaid has been five years for over 12 years. In any case, very bad advice. Key Points for Long-Term Care Insurance Purchases #long-term #goldencareagent
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