Category archives: Elderly
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1 month ago
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A federal court has ruled that hospitalized Medicare beneficiaries who were switched from inpatient to observation status can appeal the decision, making it easier for them to receive coverage for subsequent nursing home care. The ruling appears to bring to an end more than a decade of litigation on... [read more]
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2 months ago
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There is no doubt about the fact that we are living in very uncertain times. The ongoing effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, international conflict, and economic conditions are causes of great concern. There's much that seems out of our control, and fortunately, there's much we can do to help ourse... [read more]
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2 months ago
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As with any discussion that involves politics, a discussion about US presidents risks generating a variety of opinions about which reasonable minds can disagree. However, politics is not the focus of this article. Instead, our aim is to examine a few of the important lessons we can learn from the es... [read more]
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3 months ago
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When one spouse is in a nursing home and applying for Medicaid, planning has to take into account the possibility that the spouse who is not in the nursing home (called the "community spouse") may pass away first. This is because the community spouse's death may make the spouse in the nursing home i... [read more]
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3 months ago
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The Biden administration is moving forward with a Trump-era pilot program that would hand over the care of millions of Medicare beneficiaries to private, mostly for-profit, groups.
Health care advocates warn that that the little-known plan will limit patients’ choice of providers and effectiv... [read more]
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4 months ago
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Vaccines can become less effective over time. Even individuals fully vaccinated as children may need to update their immunizations. Medicare Parts B and D offer vaccination coverage.
Medicare Part B covers shots for the flu, hepatitis B, pneumococcal (pneumonia), and COVID-19. Medicare covers 100... [read more]
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4 months ago
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Anyone who gifted assets within five years of applying for Medicaid may be subject to a penalty period, but that penalty can be reduced or eliminated if the assets are returned.
In order to be eligible for Medicaid, you cannot have recently transferred assets. Congress does not want you to mo... [read more]
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4 months ago
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Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) might describe it as an open-and-shut case. When the SSA closed its field offices at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it remained open for the purposes of denying benefits. But, plaintiffs say, the agency was ef... [read more]
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5 months ago
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When applying for Medicaid’s long-term care coverage, in addition to the strict income and asset limits, you must demonstrate that you need a level care typically provided in a nursing home.
Whether you are applying for nursing home coverage or through a Medicaid waiver program for coverage a... [read more]
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9 months ago
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The Senate Democrats' proposal for a $3.5 trillion spending plan includes expanding Medicare to provide dental, vision, and hearing benefits. The proposal is now being negotiated in Congress.
Currently Medicare does not offer much in the way of dental, vision, an... [read more]
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9 months ago
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Medicare prescription drug (Part D) plans can have a coverage gap—called the "donut hole"--which limits how much Medicare will pay for your drugs until you pay a certain amount out of pocket. Although the gap has gotten much smaller since Medicare Part D was introduced in 2006, there still may be a ... [read more]
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1 year ago
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Long-term care is the care you need if you can’t perform daily activities on your own for an extended period of time. There are a number of different ways that long-term care can be provided.
Most long-term care involves assisting with basic personal needs rather than providing medical care. You ar... [read more]
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