Planning for Retirement Care

What is the Veteran's Caregiving Benefit?

Julie Northcutt — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:08:50 GMT

The current administration is lobbying for better benefits for our veterans - especially with more and more servicemen surviving injuries in Iraq, while living with the loss of limbs and with ongoing needs for medical assistance and caregiving. It seems the least we can do for these servicemen is provide for their care needs when they return home. I know I am grateful I live in a country where, as a woman, I can wear what I want, and earn a living and grateful for the servicemen who protect us and provide for our freedoms.....I wish we could air-drop bikinis to the women in Afghanistan....but back to caregiving for the American veterans.

A question we are frequently asked is what benefits are available for retired veterans. Here is the answer:

Veteran's of qualifying foreign wars do qualify for in-home senior caregiving services, with preapproval from a doctor and the proper documents submitted (doctors at a Veteran's hospital are your best bet for assisting with quick approval or you can also secure this benefit quickly upon discharge from a hospital with the assistance of the hospital social worker).

The veteran and their spouse, with financial assets of $80,000 or less (excluding home and cars) qualify for caregiving services in these amounts:

Up to $1,519 per month for a Veteran

Up to $976 per month for a Veteran's Spouse, even if the Veteran is deceased

Up to $1,801 per month for a Couple

Any licensed senior home care agency that hires caregivers as employees and provides for all of their payroll taxes and insurances will qualify to provide for the care.

You may learn more about the Veteran's benefit, along with the forms to file, on this page of Caregiverlist.

seniorcare, caregiving, VeteransBenefit

Health Care Reform Policy Debate Affects Seniors

Julie Northcutt — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:06:59 GMT

Health care reform policy debate affects seniors

Summary: The health care policy options under debate could reduce costs and dramatically improve quality of long-term health care for seniors.

On Wednesday, Members of the Senate Finance Committee will debate health care policy options aimed at making the health care delivery system more effective and efficient. Many of the proposed options have a high potential to benefit the long-term care of seniors.

The policy options, released by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucaus (D-Mont.) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), would create incentives for health care providers to focus on high quality care and to closely coordinate with a patient’s other doctors and providers. This is important for seniors who seek care from multiple doctors and risk doubling up on prescriptions that could have harmful interactions.

The proposed health care policy revisions, which will be debated in a closed-door hearing, also target changes in how private insurance companies bill Medicare patients, and are intended to reduce fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicare system.

The following details, as released by the Senate Finance Committee, reveal aspects of the health care policy options that would have a dramatic impact on seniors who receive continued care for chronic illness:

Promoting Quality Care: Medicare currently reimburses health care providers on the basis of the volume of care they provide. For every test, scan, or procedure conducted, providers

receive payment – regardless of whether the treatment contributes to helping a patient recover. Medicare must move to a system that reimburses health care providers based on the quality of care they provide. The policy options would shift Medicare from volume‐based purchasing to value‐based purchasing. Under value‐based purchasing, Medicare would provide new payment incentives for care that contributes to positive patient outcomes. The policy options would establish a value‐based purchasing program for hospitals starting in fiscal 2012, direct CMS to develop plans to establish value‐based purchasing programs for home health and skilled nursing facility providers by 2012, strengthen and expand programs that will eventually lead to value‐based purchasing for doctors, reduce inappropriate ordering of imaging services like CT scans and MRIs, and start inpatient rehabilitation and long‐term care hospital providers on a path toward value‐based purchasing program.

Promoting Primary Care: Primary care doctors are vital to reducing costs and improving quality in the health care system. Primary care doctors provide preventive care, help patients

make informed medical decisions, serve a critical care management role and help coordinate with other doctors. Despite their critical function, primary care doctors receive significantly

lower Medicare payments than other doctors, which has led to a shortage of primary care doctors. To encourage more primary care doctors to be part of the system, the policy options would provide primary care practitioners and targeted general surgeons with a Medicare payment bonus of at least five percent for five years, and provide Medicare payment to primary care practices that provide specific transitional care services for beneficiaries with high costs, chronic illnesses.

Fostering Care Coordination and Provider Collaboration: Today, many doctors want to spend more time working together, but report that current payment systems often discourage care coordination. When providers in different settings, like doctor’s offices, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities work together, patients can get well sooner and costs in the

system are lower.

Chronic Care Management:To encourage chronic care management, the policy options will foster innovation by allowing broad‐scale Medicare pilot programs of patient‐centered care

coordination models for the chronically ill that improve quality and reduce spending, and allow preliminary rapid‐cycle Medicare testing of evidence‐based care management and coordination models across various settings to determine best models for success.

Provider Collaboration:To encourage hospitals and other health care providers to work together, the policy options will provide Medicare payment incentives to hospitals that reduce

preventable hospital readmissions, and provide a single bundled Medicare payment for acute and post‐acute episodes of care.

Payment for Accountable Care:To incentivize providers to improve patient care and reduce costs by offering patients access to care at a wide range of health care providers and settings, the policy options would address the impending cuts to physician reimbursement rates, allow high‐quality providers to share in savings they achieve to the Medicare program through increased collaboration, and expand Medicare participation in community‐level health care delivery system reforms.

Quality Measure Development: The policy options will focus on quality measure development by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to partner with stakeholders to

develop a national quality improvement plan and encouraging development of next generation quality measures that are aligned with delivery system reform goals like, for example, measuring

care coordination for chronically ill.

Health Care Workforce: Ensuring America’s health care system has a sufficient supply of health care professionals to meet the demands of a changing and aging population is essential to

maintaining focus on high‐quality, cost efficient care. To strengthen the health care workforce, the policy options would increase graduate medical education training positions for

primary care and implement other immediate modernizations to the Medicare GME program, and develop a proposal that requires Health and Human Services to work with external

stakeholders to develop and implement a national workforce strategy, in conjunction with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Medicare Advantage: Private insurers that participate in Medicare should bring value to the program and to beneficiaries. Health care reform should ensure payments to private insurers in the Medicare Advantage program bring high quality, efficient plans into the Medicare program. The policy options would use current measures to pay plans for quality improvement, change statutory benchmarks or set benchmarks based on competitive plan bids, provide a bonus payment to Medicare Advantage plans that use evidence‐based programs to manage care of the chronically ill, and allow plans to continue to offer extra benefits, but reducing wide variation among plans.

Combating Fraud, Waste and Abuse: Reducing fraud, waste, and abuse in Medicare will reduce costs and improve quality throughout the system. The Medicare improper payment rate

for 2008 was 3.6 percent, or $10.4 billion, and the National Health Care Anti‐Fraud Association estimates that fraud amounts to at least three percent of total health care spending, or more

than $60 billion per year. The policy options combat fraud, waste and abuse by enhancing the review of health care providers prior to granting billing privileges, leveraging technology to

better evaluate claims, educating providers to promote compliance with program requirements, monitoring programs more vigilantly, and penalizing fraudulent activity swiftly and sufficiently.

Caregiverlist provides a helpful breakdown for individuals trying to better understand what Medicare covers.

seniorcare, Medicare, Legislation

Use Spring Cleaning for Senior Care Needs Check

Julie Northcutt — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:13:50 GMT

Do you think your parent or grandparent may be at a point where they need caregiving services to help them better navigate their daily living as they deal with the challenges of medical illnesses or memory loss? Are you noticing they are not keeping up with some of their household maintenance or staying active in their interests? And do you know where they would like to be cared for should an emergency arise - in their home by a Senior Home Care Agency or in a nursing community?

It can be difficult to start the conversation about senior care needs with a loved one. Holidays are often the only time relatives are able to spend lengthy time with their older family members yet they are not necessarily the best time to have these conversations about life changes since holidays are often already stressful times for seniors as they are reminded of lost loved ones and the realities of growing older.

Taking the time for a spring cleaning visit can provide an opportunity to participate in a needed activity with your senior relatives while also checking up on their care needs. Parents usually are accepting of this as you are assisting with a needed task. And, while performing spring cleaning, you will have a closer look into their daily living habits to see if there are any additional care needs or medical conditions that should be checked to assist your senior loved ones to enjoy healthy aging.

Catching a senior's medical and care needs early will assist in slowing the progression of some age-related illnesses and assist in maintaining a safe environment for the senior as they age. Seniors often will not share signs of age-related illnesses because of their fears associated with dealing with the new medical conditions and other times they simply do not notice the changes because they develop slowly. Spring cleaning offers the perfect opportunity to interact with a senior and to do a health check-up on their activities of daily living.

Here are some senior spring cleaning tips and ways to incorporate checking on potential age-related diseases and conditions such as hearing loss, vision loss, weight gain, arthritis and forgetfulness as you are assisting your senior loved one with their spring cleaning.

Closets: Reorganize and assist with storing the out-of-season clothing and discarding the out-of-style clothing. Take a look to make sure clothing is being kept clean and well maintained. Alert: Seniors developing vision loss, such as Macular Degeneration or memory loss, such as Alzheimer's Disease may begin to wear the same clothing over and over again and not keep up with laundry regularly.
Bathroom: Clean and organize the bathroom medicine cabinet and discard old or unused items. Check to see if the shower or bathtub is being used regularly and if anything is in need of repair. Check medicine cabinet and toss or remove any medications which are no longer prescribed. Alert: Are non-skid rugs in place? Are there any new medicines or care products which would indicate new medical conditions you may not be aware of? Is it time for a grab-bar or raised toilet seat for safety? Bathrooms offer easy opportunities for falls for seniors with mobility issues which may be caused by age-related medical conditions or side-effects of medications.
Kitchen: Clean out the refrigerator. Are there any buried treasures with expiration dates long passed? Does it look like they are eating a nutritious diet? Check all appliances to make sure they are functioning properly and that there have been no equipment damages due to misuse. Alert: Eating regular meals is important for good health at all ages. Consider what health conditions or medications may require special dietary needs. Check for sodium levels in prepared foods. Discuss the daily meal plans to see if additional kitchen tools might make meal preparation easier or if the senior needs help in diversifying their menu.
Living Room: Remove and clean curtains, vacuum and shampoo the carpet and dust and clean furniture. Are there any rugs or mats which could lend to tripping or falling more easily? Does the furniture need to be re-arranged for easier use? Alert: Check to see if it looks like a daily routine is being maintained and notice if reading or television watching have decreased which could be signs of vision or hearing loss.
Bedroom: Change bed linens and check to see if bedding has been changed regularly and if they have been sleeping in the bed. Do they need new bed linens or is it time to discuss a new mattress to assist with more comfortable sleep? Alert: Seniors will sometimes begin to sleep in an easy chair or sofa instead of their bed due to a variety of conditions from depression to new physical conditions such as back, neck or leg pain or because they are becoming confused about time of day.
Driving: If the senior is still driving, take a ride with them to the grocery store or to run an errand to make sure they are driving safely. Check the car and garage to make sure there are no dents or damages from inappropriate driving. Alert: Seniors who inappropriately drive risk their lives and the lives of others on the road. Learn about the senior driving laws in each state and how to find assistance if it is time to take the keys away. Office: Confirm the names and contact information for all the medical doctors and their pharmacy. Update list of medical conditions and medications. Confirm Power of Attorney for financial matters and for healthcare.

While engaged in spring cleaning, you can find a time to talk about the long-term plans for senior care by discussing what otehrs are doing and finding out their current plans for care should the need arise. Confirm what their plan for senior care needs would be and their retirement care budget so you can be prepared in case of an emergency. Discuss long-term care insurance policy options and the financial capacity to pay for private care, as Medicare does not provide for long-term care. Usually seniors will agree to have you help with their spring cleaning and because you are spending interactive time with them, you will be more likely to notice any changes in their care needs and make necessary arrangements in order to prevent a medical emergency later.

springcleaning, seniorcare, eldercarecosts

Preventing Elder Abuse

Julie Northcutt — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:30:21 GMT

Several cases of alleged senior abuse have crept up across the nation during the past month. On March 30, 2009, a 31-year-old former nursing home employee in Oklahoma was accused of abusing his senior patients and videotaping it, according to a Fox 23 news report.

“Experts say many of these crimes against the elderly in long-term residential care are never reported to law enforcement or to the state and say it’s imperative for us to always be vigilant if we have a loved one in long-term care,” reported Kaci Christian of FOX 23. The article describes the shock a family felt when they discovered their 60-year-old female relative, who was living in a nursing home and suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, “badly beaten, with her face swollen and discolored.”

There are many ways to reduce the risk of senior abuse. First, consider home-care options that allow more control over the caregivers who are in contact with your loved one.

The process of selecting home care can be overwhelming, with more than 5,000 senior home care agencies nationwide. The Caregiverlist Checklist for standards of quality care for senior home care agencies is a resource that outlines requirements for safety and consistency in care, making it easier for families to make an educated decision.

Regardless of what long-term care option is best suited for your loved one, it helps to be aware of some less obvious warning signs of abuse. The following warning signs are part of an extensive list compiled by the The National Center on Elder Abuse:

Broken eyeglasses
Physical signs of being subjected to punishment or signs of being restrained
Senior’s sudden change in behavior
Caregiver’s refusal to allow visitors to see an elder alone
Senior acting extremely withdrawn and non-communicative
Senior displaying unusual behavior usually attributed to dementia, such as sucking, biting, rocking

If you suspect senior abuse, call the NCEA hotline at 1-800-677-1116. The NCEA web site offers a host of additional information on identifying elder abuse.

seniorcare, caregiving, ElderAbuse

Recession Provides Assisted Living Discounts

Julie Northcutt — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 17:51:40 GMT

Today's Chicago Tribune features an interview with Caregiverlist's Senior Living Expert, Lisa Sneddon, discussing how the current economic downturn has resulted in new pricing values at Assisted Living Communities. Since many seniors cannot sell their homes, their retirement plans to downsize and relocate to an Assisted Living Community have been derailed.

However, there are now new options available for relocating to a senior community, from bridge loans until the senior's house is sold to waived move-in fees from the senior community.

Lisa's service is paid for by the Assisted Living Communities as she will provide unbiased information to seniors and their families to give them the scoop on services and amenities at communities beyond just the costs - you know, if you are going to move in to a new community, it is the same as buying a house, you want to know a little about the neighbors and the community activities. And, it is important to consider the care services that will be available as you age - from dementia care to nursing care. Lisa will take the senior on a tour and will answer all the questions you might have been afraid to ask if you were shopping on your own. She helps make sure the move-in will be a success and permanent.

Check out the Chicago Tribune story here.

seniorcare, assistedliving, retirement

Nursing Home Inspections and Nursing Home Violations

Julie Northcutt — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:28:41 GMT

The government has been advertising the Medicare.gov website to let seniors know the nursing home inspection reports are available online (they also allow other websites to download this information and Caregiverlist also provides it). I have been hearing the ads on NPR and elsewhere.

The nursing home inspection reports are a nice starting point for seniors and their family members when evaluating a nursing facility for a short or long-term nursing stay. But it is important to realize that these nursing home inspections are only performed once every 15 months. Ask any Certified Nursing Aide who has worked at a nursing home (working at a hospital or nursing home is required as part of their certification training) and they will tell you that most nursing homes have an alert "code" that goes out when the nursing home inspectors walk in the door - - - it could be just announcing on the P.A. that "Minerva is on line 1". This means everyone is on their best behavior. It reminds me of elementary school when parents sat in on the classroom - even the bullies were nice to everyone on those days, including the teacher.

In addition to the inspections only being made every 15 months, the nursing home violations are not included in the inspection report, and, actually, this is the information you really need to know when evaluating a nursing facility.

If you really want to make sure you are going to be moving a senior into a quality nursing home, the best way to find out the quality of the care is to find out the number of nursing aides on staff per number of beds and to talk to the staff. In addition, find out the monthly nursing home violation report in your state. As you'll see from the June, 2008, violations in Illinois, many of the violations most likely happen because there just aren't enough caregivers to manage problem residents and to assist with bed sore management.

This is why more seniors are opting for care in the home by a one-on-one caregiver. Senior Home Care Agencies provide in-home care for a cost of between $16 - $28 per hour, depending on what part of the country you live in, and this fee provides for all the payroll taxes, insurance protection and active management of the caregiver.

Nursing Home Violations For The Month Of June 2008

SPRINGFIELD, Ill – The Illinois Department of Public Health today announced the following type “A” violations of the Nursing Home Care Act were cited during the month of June. An “A” violation, which is the most serious licensure violation imposed by the state, pertains to a condition in which there is a substantial probability that death or serious mental or physical harm will result.

The statement of violation for each facility can be obtained by clicking on the facility's name.

Alden Alma Nelson Manor, a 268-bed skilled facility located at 550 S. Mulford Avenue, Rockford, has been fined $32,500 and notified of license revocation for failure to prevent and protect residents from abuse. Three residents were physically attacked by another resident. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status was held February 26 and settlement negotiations are underway.

All American Nursing Home, a 144-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 5448 N. Broadway Street, Chicago, has been fined for failure to maintain a sanitary kitchen and ensure proper food handling to prevent hazardous food borne illnesses. Kitchen staff was observed preparing food without washing hands or using gloves. The facility requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A hearing was held and the facility paid $1,200.

Allen Court, a 16-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located 1650 E. Main Street, Clinton, has been fined $20,000 for failure to implement its own policies to prevent neglect of a resident. Staff failed to provide a thorough assessment of the resident’s symptoms and did not provide immediate medical attention after a fall. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case was held February 25.

Belhaven Nursing & Rehab Center, a 221-bed skilled care facility located at 11401 S. Oakley Avenue, Chicago, has been fined $30,000 for failure to provide necessary care and services to residents to prevent pressure sores and treat new sores. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case is April 16.

Blue Island Nursing Home, a 30-bed intermediate care facilities located at 2427 West 127th Street, Blue Island, has been fined $15,000 for failure to adequately supervise residents and monitor a resident’s consumption of alcohol and prevent the resident from physically abusing two other residents and a staff member. The facility requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case was held February 26 and settlement negotiations are underway.

Brother James Court, a 99-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 52508 St. James Road, Springfield, has been fined $10,000 for failure to implement facility policy and procedure on Abuse and Neglect. The facility also failed to recognize the need for additional supervision of a resident after a sexual incident between two residents. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case is March 31.

Cardinal Hill Healthcare, 90-bed skilled care facility located at 400 E. Hillview Avenue, Greenville, has been fined $55,000 for failure to provide adequate supervision to prevent a resident from choking which resulted in death. A resident took another resident’s sandwich without staff knowledge; was later found without vital signs and pronounced dead. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case is March 31.

East Peoria Gardens Healthcare Center, a 103-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 1920 Springfield Road, East Peoria, has been fined for failure to provide necessary care and services to maintain health. In the case of 4 residents, the facility did not (1) perform cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), (2) provide adequate supervision, and (3) monitor worsening medical condition. As a result, 3 residents died and a fourth suffered gangrene to a toe. The facility requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A hearing was held and the facility paid $32,500.

Mosaic Living Center, a 150-bed long term care facility for residents under the age of 22 located at 7464 N. Sheridan Road., Chicago, has been fined $10,000 failure to provide nursing care in accordance with a residents needs. Due to the facility’s failure to properly monitor a resident with a history of removing a feeding tube, the resident lost almost 30 pounds. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status conference was held February 8 and settlement negotiations are underway.

Moweaqua Nursing & Retirement Center, a 70-bed skilled care facility located at Maple and Macon Streets, Moweaqua, has been fined $50,000 for failure to supervise a resident at high risk for falls. The facility did not assess nor make changes to the plan of care for the resident, after repeated falls. As a result, the resident fell and died after suffering facial fractures and head injuries. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case was held February 25.

Parents and Friends of the Specialized Living Center, a 100-bed intermediate care facility for the developmentally disabled located at 1450 Caseyville Avenue, Swansea, has been fined $20,000 for failure to implement a diet order for a resident at risk for choking. The facility did not monitor the resident who had received the wrong texture and consistency of food. The resident was hospitalized after choking. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case was held February 25.

Regal Health & Rehab Center, a 143-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 9525 S. Mayfield, Oak Lawn, has been fined $25,000 for failure to adequately supervise four residents identified as unsafe smokers. Three of the four residents require continuous oxygen therapy. The lack of supervision resulted in one resident suffering burns to his face. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case is March 5.

St. Anthony’s Nursing & Rehab Center, a 120-bed skilled and intermediate care facility located at 767 30th Street, Rock Island, has been fined for failure to develop and implement a plan to address a resident’s sexual behavior toward other residents. The facility also failed to implement effective interventions to monitor the resident responsible for sexually abusing two other residents. The facility requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A hearing was held and the facility paid $12,000.

Timbercreek Rehab & Health Care Center, a 202-bed skilled care facility located at 2220 State Street, Pekin, has been fined $20,000 for allowing two Certified Nursing Assistants with findings of abuse on the Health Care Worker Registry to work at the facility. The facility also failed to protect residents from abuse by one of the CNAs, who was later found to have broken the wrist of a resident. Both were terminated. The facility has requested a hearing on the Department’s action. A status in the case is March 3.

seniorcare, nursinghome, nursinghomeviolations

NFL Begins to Help Former Players with Dementia

Julie Northcutt — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:22:28 GMT

Frank DeFord reported on NPR this past week that former Baltimore Colts football star, John Mackey, suffers from dementia. And, due to efforts by John Mackey's wife and other players and their wives, the NFL and the player's union have started the "88 Plan" (named after Mackey's old football number). The 88 Plan assists players with dementia.

The NFL does not admit that perhaps head injuries in football and the helmuts that were worn back in the early days of the game, which were not as protective as today's helmuts, contributed to player's experiencing dementia, but at least they are willing to help now.

The NFL has also developed a comprehensive study of brain damage and dementia in players and the results will be revealed in 2010.

John Mackey's wife, Sylvia, also went back to work as a flight attendante when she was 56 to help make ends meet while caring for John, and to get the benefit of health insurance. Finally, she had to place John in a nursing home to provide for his care. Caregivers have even more challenges when caring for a physically large person, and former football players fit into this category. And, when dementia starts when someone is younger, the challenge of financially providing for care is also presented as often they continue to be healthy physically.

The "88 Plan" has now been written into the NFL's labor agreement and provides up to $88,000 a year for nursing care or day care for ex-players with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, or $50,000 for home care. This will help both former football players who suffer dementia as part of aging and those who are not yet elderly.

Let's hope the NFL's move to provide for their employees who develop dementia will also spread to other industries to prevent financial devastation to families when memory loss develops - and remember that long-term care insurance, which can be purchased privately, also helps pay for these care costs.

And, cheers to Sylvia Mackey for successfully advocating for change in NFL benefits.

seniorcare, NFL, dementia senior, longtermcare,

Longevity Secrets (or, How to Age Well)

Julie Northcutt — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:51:44 GMT

Explorer and writer Dan Buettner has written a book called The Blue Zones which profiles the areas of the world where the most people have lived the longest - and lived those years with happiness and vitality.
More seniors have reached 100 years of age in these “blue zones”, which include towns in Italy, California and Costa Rica. The book brings to light their lifestyles that seem to suggest why they are living longer.

The website also offers a Vitality Compass so you can find out how well you are doing with healthy aging right now. This provides a great tool for both seniors and their caregivers.

Included in The Blue Zones top-10 list for healthy aging are growing a garden, eating nuts, drinking Sardinian wine (has the world’s highest levels of antioxidants), meditating and having a personal mission.

seniorcare, aging, caregiver

President-Elect Obama's Positions on Health Care Reform

Julie Northcutt — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 16:35:04 GMT

As seniors analyze their Medicare options before the end of the year, it may also be a good time to learn more about

President-Elect Obama's positions on health care reform. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, President-Elect Barack Obama announced a comprehensive health care reform proposal and laid out his positions on a number of other key health care issues.

Budget cuts will be necessary with the government's need to budget for the necessary economic booster programs and financial bailouts. At the same time, President-Elect Obama's team has said they will be eliminating some of the government fat and favors implemented for special interest groups. Many critics of the Medicare drug program have indicated that the prescription plans were somewhat out of whack because of the drug company's involvement through lobbying efforts (and when you try to understand why anyone would create a program with a "donut hole" as a term needed to explain coverage when a senior is left out of the prescription plan for a window of time, a red flag seems to go up that perhaps seniors best interests were not the only driver of this Medicare program).

Right now, Medicaid pays for long-term care in a nursing home, but not in the home (except in a few small population states which have recently developed home care programs). Medicare only pays for caregiving in a nursing home and not in the home, yet statistics show most seniors prefer to stay in their homes for long-term care. And, with the cost of nursing home care being from $150 - $350 per day, and home care costing from $18 - $25 an hour and providing one-on-one care from a caregiver, it may be time to look at how the government is allocating the funds for senior care.

The Kaiser Family Foundation prepared two reports to summarize President-Elect Obama's campaign health care policies and positions. They are based on information compiled from Obama's campaign Web site, speeches, campaign debates and news reports. Check it out and let your voice be heard.

senior, caregiving, Medicare

Medicare Coverage Plans

Julie Northcutt — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:49:56 GMT

Until December 31st, Medicare-eligible beneficiaries have the opportunity to manage costs by signing up or switching their current coverage in Medicare prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans. During this time, Medicare beneficiaries may either enroll in or switch plans.

Remind your senior relatives to review thier "Annual Notice of Change" advising them about upcoming company-mandated changes to existing plans.

Educate yourself, too. There are 4 parts of Medicare.

Part A: Includes hospital coverage

Part B: Provides coverage for doctor's visits

Part C: Medicare Advantage plan which means Medicare pays a private insurance company to provide and administer your Medicare and your plans' benefit

Part D: Prescription drug coverage

And, remember, Medicare does NOT pay for long-term care, just short stays in a nursing home for rehabilitation. Long-term care insurance is one solution for care needs, along with private pay.

senior, Medicare, longtermcare