News about the New York Medicaid system has been surprisingly positive over the past few weeks. While stories of doom and gloom dominate federal discussions of the program, in our state there has actually been cause for optimism. Most prominently, Governor Cuomo recently announced that while the program is still quite expensive, the cost increases last year stayed below the self-imposed caps set to curb spending growth. This financial goal was attained even though the program added nearly 104,000 participants–essentially reaching a total of 5 million New Yorkers in the program.
These money-saving goals were met thanks in part to the work of the state’s Medicaid Task Force which was charged with finding ways to trim program expenses. Observers note that one important way this was achieved was by reducing expensive hospital admission rates and increasing usage of primary care. Our New York Medicaid attorneys appreciate that the state’s ability to meet this goals is good news for area seniors who rely on the program for their long-term care needs.
However, this one year cost curbing effort, while positive, does not mean that the all concerns about the program have been resolved. There are still many issues left to face to ensure local seniors who need it have access to this program. For one thing, the program’s expenses are still hitting local governments particularly hard. The Times Herald-Record discussed this issue in a story published this morning. County executives from Orange, Ulster, and Dutchess counties met yesterday to talk about a range of issues–Medicaid was by far the most pressing concern.
Ulster County executive Mike Hein explained how he believed that the funding systems of the program were a clear example “of the state dumping an expense on localities.” What is particularly frustrating to these executives is the fact that while local government pay essentially half of the state Medicaid costs, localities have no control over the program. Our New York Medicaid lawyers realize that these very concerns are what have
Article source: http://rss.justia.com/~r/NewYorkElderLawAttorneyBlogCom/~3/PdYJSdJ2A8g/county-executives-voice-concer.html
Attorney Karr proudly serves Massachusetts clients in Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex Counties including Andover, Beverly, Ipswich, Essex Middleton, Reading, Swampscott, Gloucester, Hamilton, Wenham, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Lexington, Topsfield, Marblehead, Salem, Lynn, Peabody, Danvers, Saugus, Lynnfield, Melrose, Malden, Stoneham, Medford, Revere, Everett, Chelsea, Winthrop, Arlington, Belmont, Brookline, Cambridge, Watertown, Newton, Wellesley, Needham, Dedham, Milton, Quincy, Canton, Randolph, Braintree, Woburn, Winchester, Lowell, Boston, Charlestown, Somerville, Nahant, Weymouth and Dover.
Article source: http://www.mamedicaidlawyer.com/massachusetts-medicaid-trusts-protect-assets-for-the-whole-family/
Lower Hudson Valley News reported last week on the current financial picture of the New York Medicaid program. Many local residents depend on the program to meet their various needs, including long-term care costs. Yet, time and again doomsday projections are offered which rightly confuse those who count on their participation to get by each day. According to this latest story, the current financial state of the program can best be summarized as expensive but under control.
As our New York Medicaid attorneys know, our state’s Medicaid program is one of the costliest in the nation–topping $54 billion a year. The Medicaid program accounts for 36% of the entire state budget–the largest single piece of the state’s yearly obligations. To limit the growth of the program the state created a self-imposed cap which sought to limit Medicaid spending. As of last Wednesday that goal had been met, and the cap was not breached. This was made even more impressive considering that in the same time period the use of the program actually grew, adding 104,000 enrollees in the last half of 2011 to top nearly 5 million total participants.
This is good news for local elder residents, millions of whom conduct New York Medicaid planning to ensure that they have the long-term care they need to survive in their golden years. So how has the state been able to stay below the budget cap even while the program grew in size? Experts explain that reduced hospital admission rates have helped. This allows residents to receive far cheap primary care as opposed to expensive hospital stays. Other cost-cutting measures have also helped rein in spending without slashing services.
However, statewide medical costs can be fickle, and solid footing one day can be gone the next. At a budget hearing where the matter was discussed, the state’s Medicaid director, Jason Helgerson, explained, “The good news is that through the end of December, we’re $95 million under the spending cap, but every single month things change and we remain
Article source: http://rss.justia.com/~r/NewYorkElderLawAttorneyBlogCom/~3/vl3mXF1FqaA/revamped-new-york-medicaid-pro.html
Planning ahead for potential disability often centers on protecting assets in order for seniors to qualify for MassHealth coverage of nursing home care. However, for many seniors and their families, at-home care options are preferable to nursing home options. The question of how to finance these services, however, can be just as daunting. Luckily, Massachusetts provides several options to help support the care of frail elders while remaining in their own or in a loved one’s home.
MassHealth is a single Massachusetts Medicaid program that pays for care in virtually all nursing homes, provided a senior can qualify both medically and financially. However, several different programs exist in Massachusetts for community care, each with its own eligibility criteria, making it difficult for families to find the best care option for them. An elder law attorney can help guide you through the red tape and help your loved one qualify for the most appropriate care program.
In order to be eligible for community benefits, seniors must still meet MassHealth’s strict asset guidelines. Typically, this means no more than $2,000 in countable assets with monthly income capped at $903. Applicants may also qualify for the MassHealth “waiver” program if they clinically require nursing home care even though they are receiving the service at home, which allows an increased income limit of $2,022.
While MassHealth regulations do allow for a penalty period for asset transfers, to date MassHealth has not applied these rules to community-based benefits.
Adult Foster Care (AFC) is a program that provides a non-taxable stipend of up to $1,500 a month to a caretaker, other than a spouse, who lives with the individual in need of services.
The amount of the monthly stipend depends on the number of activities of daily living with which the senior needs assistance, such as dressing, eating or bathing. The stipend can be used either to supplement the income of a family member who is caring for a loved one or to hire some part-time assistance.
The Personal Care Assistant (PCA) program helps support
Article source: http://www.mamedicaidlawyer.com/caring-for-seniors-at-home-in-massachusetts/
Virtually everyone would prefer to age gracefully. Unfortunately, many seniors never get that chance and instead face serious health deterioration that occurs quickly, often without warning. This creates complications for many families who wait to conduct long-term care planning. Our New York elder law attorneys realize that many local community members have every intention of seeking out professional help to ensure they have access to the resources they need in their golden years. But many residents simply wait too long before seeking out that assistance, limiting the options available. It is ideal to plan before one’s health deteriorates to have maximum benefit from the process.
This is particularly true in the case of cognitive mental diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. Experts on the condition explain that there remains a big problem with early detection. Many family members fail to discover that a loved one’s mental condition has been affected by the condition until the loss of functioning is severe. This often makes dealing with the senior’s medical needs much more complicated, particularly when a Health Care Proxy and Power of Attorney were not previously created.
Sadly, waiting too long before conducting New York elder care planning is like crossing a one-way bridge. With our current state of medical knowledge the effects of these cognitive conditions are virtually permanent–we have yet to master treatment options that might reverse most of the damage. However, this week scientists out of Case Western Reserve University announced what some are calling a “breakthrough” in Alzheimer’s research. Published in a report in this week’s edition of the journal Science, the researchers have apparently discovered a cancer drug that has been able to reverse Alzheimer’s symptoms in certain animal modules.
In both humans and animals, Alzheimer’s conditions are caused by plague deposits that build up in the brain. According to the report, this cancer drug was able to cut down on the number of plaque deposits in the test cases. In some situations the drug was able to
Article source: http://rss.justia.com/~r/NewYorkElderLawAttorneyBlogCom/~3/bdAc_1pfrow/scientists-claim-breakthrough.html
Where any business or home wants prime quality furniture of varied kinds, it is maybe of the greatest seriousness that retirement home furniture is cosy, given the quantity of time folks will spend sitting on them. Nursing and residential centers contain a large amount of furniture as they typically serve an important number of residents. In this piece we will take a look at the primary kinds of furniture that should be considered. Lounge Furniture If you visit a care home, you will notice that almost all of the residents stay in the day room.
When the situation has gone outside the first warning indicators the old residents health is in trouble, they could slip into a coma from the absence of the right quantity of liquids. This when it's time to consult an old abuse lawyer to hold the care home responsible. Their desires include being monitored so they don't become dehydrated, this ageing adult doesn't always realize they aren't drinking enough liquids and the nursing staff should notice this, it is their job. This lawyer knows the laws that are established for abuse of the ageing adult, and they know the retirement home is responsible to have a correctly trained staff. Be certain to call the retirement home office and arrange an appointment to tour the retirement home before you visit. It also enables you to talk with care home staff, the people that live and get care at the retirement home and their family members. – Ask about the kinds of services and activities the retirement home makes provision for residents.
– Ask to see a copy of the latest inspection report for the facility. Discover if there's an additional charge for any special medical desires the one that you love might have. Without a complete nursing guide, the nursing houses will not be well placed to play their roles and responsibility to look after each resident. In all probability the residents will complaint if they're not well-treated. Besides enhancing the regulatory standards, the care home authorities should tighten up their enforcement too. Next, if you're privy to the nursing home’s trend, you'll find out the most urgent problem is inadequate of manpower. The candidate must medically need retirement home care. If both spouses live in a retirement home they can only have $3,000. The candidate must not have given away any assets in the last 5 years. This promise is formed in the shape of a Certified Earnings Only Trust. So long as the quantity of revenue which is over $2,022 is deposited into the Revenue Trust and then paid to the care home, the candidate can remain Medicaid admissible.