Everybody wants to do a better job coordinating care for the frail elderly and younger adults with disabilities who have extensive medical and personal care needs. But just how to do it is becoming increasingly controversial—especially on Capitol Hill. The current flashpoint is an aggressive new Obama Administration initiative aimed at improving care and cutting costs for those who are [...]
Insurance giant Wellpoint is the latest carrier making a big bet on managing care for those seniors and adults with disabilities who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. About 9 million people, called “dual eligibles” receive benefits from both programs. They are both very poor and very sick and often have significant needs for personal assistance. Medicaid alone spends $145 [...]
People often say that the patients most at risk in the U.S. health system are the elderly who suffer from multiple chronic diseases. But it may be that a subset of these seniors—those with chronic disease who also need personal assistance with routine activities—are in the most jeopardy. An important 2011 research paper finds they are the most costly to care [...]
By upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, the Supreme Court has preserved—at least for now—major changes in the way long-term care supports and services are delivered and financed. Here are some provisions of the law that directly affect the frail elderly and younger adults with disabilities. Medicaid: The law is filled with important changes to this state/federal program [...]
It isn't news that needing long-term care services can be brutal on your finances but a new study shows just how it can destroy your assets. Median household wealth for those who spend fewer than 30 days in a nursing home is about $108,000. But after 6 months, many nursing home residents are effectively broke, with median assets of barely $5,000. In other words, after [...]
What if you could be admitted to the hospital—in your own bedroom? That’s the idea of a health care model called Hospital at Home, which is aimed at elderly patients with diseases such as congestive heart failure, emphysema, urinary tract infections, or pneumonia. According to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs, people receiving this care through the [...]
Let me tell you about Frank. At 86, he has heart disease, diabetes, and kidney failure. He lives at home but struggles with the 16 medications he must take every day. He could also use some social support--maybe an adult day program, help shopping, or just somebody to keep him company. What Frank needs most of all is somebody who can help organize all of his medical [...]
A Pennsylvania state appeals court has ruled that the adult son of a nursing home resident is responsible for her unpaid $93,000 bill. And the decision has some elder care lawyers wondering if this is just the beginning of a trend. Pennsylvania is one of 30 states that have filial responsibility statutes—laws that impose a duty on adult children to [...]
Why would House Republicans slash programs that make it possible for the frail elderly and adults with disabilities to live at home? Especially since the alternative would often be more costly nursing home care. GOP lawmakers say they support Medicaid's Home and Community Based programs that provide long-term services and supports in the community rather than in nursing homes. Many GOP [...]
Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn) warned today that long-term care financing is "a major train wreck" and "heading for a national crisis." Corker, the senior Republican on the Senate Aging Committee, said he was very worried about the viability of private long-term care insurance and added , "there is no doubt there is a public sector role" in the future of financing [...]