“The Hidden Costs In Medicare Advantage Plans,” by Danielle Kunkle, Forbes   “New-to-Medicare clients often ask us, ‘Which is better: Medigap or Medicare Advantage?’ Medigap plans have been around forever and are relatively easy to understand. Medicare Advantage plans work differently but generate much interest due to premiums which are often lower than Medigap plans. . . . Which type of coverage is best? That answer depends on what is most important to you: lower premiums or more predictable costs. Remember that what is best for your neighbor might not be best for you. Do your research before enrolling so
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“How To Get Long-Term Care At Home Without Busting The Bank,” by Judith Graham, Kaiser Health News “The vast majority of older adults receive long-term care at home, not in nursing homes. But few people plan for this expense. Nor do they see long-term care insurance as a viable option — because it’s expensive and is often seen as protection against the cost of nursing home care. That should change, some experts contend. If the long-term care insurance industry focused more on helping people cover home-based services, they argue, policies would be more affordable, and potentially appealing. . . .
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“High-Cost Dual Eligibles’ Service Use Demonstrates The Need For Supportive And Palliative Models Of Care,” by Julie P. W. Bynum,  Andrea Austin, Donald Carmichael, and Ellen Meara, Health Affairs (gated) “Abstract: Health care spending is generally highest among people who need both complex medical care and long-term services and supports, such as adults dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Understanding how different types of complex patients use services over time can inform policies that target this population. High combined Medicare and Medicaid spending are found in two distinct groups of high-cost dual eligibles: older beneficiaries who are nearing the end
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“New Study Identifies Major Gaps in Medicaid Structure,” by Whitney Munro, Foundation for Government Accountability “A new study has identified a major loophole in the structure of Medicaid that has led to massive cost overruns and a shortage in available funds for truly needy individuals. According to the study, eligibility expansions and loopholes have led to a perversion of Medicaid, creating an entitlement program for the middle-class. The report, How to Fix Long-Term Care Financing,  co-published by the Foundation for Government Accountability (FGA) and the Center for Long-Term Care Reform, found that the current structure of Medicaid has created a
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“Kitces: When and how to deduct long-term care insurance,” by Michael Kitces, Financial Planning “With the 1996 introduction of tax-qualified long-term care insurance under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and IRC Section 7702B, Congress affirmed that long-term care insurance benefits should be tax-free. Tax benefits for purchased long-term care insurance coverage followed. However, the evolving landscape of both individual tax deductions and long-term care insurance tax preferences have created myriad options for filers, all of them confusing. What follows is a run-through of the choices, benefits — and indeed, drawbacks — of each.” LTC Comment (from Damon V.
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“Wisconsin faces critical shortage of care workers for disabled and elderly,” by Lillian Price, Journal Sentinel “The lack of workers has reached crisis levels in Wisconsin and across the nation, according to long-term care and home care organizations. And Gov. Scott Walker has recommended a 2% increase for each of the next two years, but advocates say more is needed. . . . Advocates and health associations have pinpointed low wages without benefits as the cause of the shortage. There’s also an overall lack of appreciation for workers who fill these demanding jobs, they say, leading workers to not view the job as a career. .
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