State Farm Long Term Care Insurance Requests Rate Increase
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company recently filed for a substantial increase in rates for their Long Term Care Insurance policies in both Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
Rate revision requests were filed in mid-March for State Farm Long Term Care Insurance policies in Pennsylvania and at the end of April for policies in Connecticut.
Substantial Increase in Rates
The current average premium for State Farm Long Term Care Insurance policies has been around $1200/year in Connecticut and $1800/year in Pennsylvania.
State Farm is requesting an average rate increase[…]
US Nursing Home Long Term Care Improving, According to Report
According to a recent report, US nursing home long term care, post-acute care, and rehabilitative care quality in the United States have all showed steady progress in improving long and short stay quality indicators.
The report, released by the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care (AQNHC), was compiled using data analysis from PointRight, a national long-term care analytics firm. Quality of care was analyzed by using the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality measuring standards.
Most Areas Show Improvement
Nursing homes, also known as skilled nursing facilities or SNFs, improved in all four CMS measures utilized for short stay[…]
Connecticut Long Term Care Insurance Bill Killed in Legislative Committee
A bill introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly that would create a $500 personal income tax credit for premiums paid on Long Term Care Insurance has lost momentum.
Killed in Committee
On Monday, the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee decided not to vote on the bill. Their decision gives the bill an uncertain fate during the current legislative session.
Objections raised by opponents of the bill claim it is too costly to the state. The tax credit will cost an estimated $71.5 million in 2014, $78.3 million in 2015, and $84.6 million annually from 2016 on, according to the Office[…]
Recent Studies Show Americans Uninformed About Long Term Care Insurance
A recent study released by AP portrays a staggering lack of preparedness by Americans age 40 and up in the case of Long Term Care Insurance options.
The Rising Need for Long Term Care
Long Term Care is still one of the least popular insurance policies in the nation; only 1 in 10 seniors currently have Long Term Care Insurance. This statistic is shocking because, according to a government study for people 65 years and above, 1 in 2 Americans and 7 in 10 seniors will need Long Term Care at some point.
Newly Introduced House Bill Tightens Medicaid Eligibility for Long Term Care
A bill introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to tighten Medicaid eligibility for Long Term Care by allowing states to decrease the amount of home equity exemption to as low as $50,000.
H.R. 1702, or the “Medicaid Program Integrity Act of 2013”, also includes an attempt to eliminate the Maintenance of Effort rules. The Maintenance of Effort rules, which were established in the Affordable Care Act, have been preventing states from closing loopholes that allow Medicaid fraud in long term care services.
Bill Meant to Minimize Medicaid Abuse and Fraud
Both provisions of the bill are intended to reduce Medicaid[…]
Medicare Spared ACA Cuts, CMS letter says
A letter released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) dispelled concerns that ACA-mandated Medicare cuts would go into effect this year.
According to the letter, the CMS Chief Actuary is required to calculate the projected 5 year growth rate of per capita cost and spending for Medicare. It must then be determine dwhether or not the growth rate falls within a specified range. The projected growth rates are based upon the medical category of the Consumer Price Index. If the projected growth rate does not fall within the target range, a “savings target” will be implemented and Medicare[…]