US Health and Human Services Plans Long Term Care Awareness Survey
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has plans to evaluate the public’s awareness and perception of long term care in a new survey.
Long Term Care Spending
Recognizing the growing issue of long term care spending throughout the nation, the federal government wants to better understand how individual Americans address long term care and how the system could be improved upon in the future.
The US spent $211 billion on long term care in 2011, two-thirds of which was public spending. That cost makes up 8% of[…]
The True Cost of Smoking – It’s Not Just Your Health that Pays
By this point in time, nearly every American knows the negative health effects of smoking. If the graphic images in health class weren’t enough to scare you, the warnings on the cigarette boxes should be. Despite the health warnings, individuals continue to pick up the habit every year for a variety of reasons. Along with the habit come a number of different risks and costs that smokers take on, some without even realizing it.
The Costs
The price of a pack of cigarettes isn’t the only cost of smoking; according to[…]
Minnesota Medicaid Reform Addresses Long Term Care
The Minnesota Department of Health and Human Services recently announced they received federal approval to use $58 million in state Medicaid spending to better address the issues that have arisen with an increased need for long term care.
Reform 2020
Just one component of a larger Medicaid reform effort called “Reform 2020”, the money designated to DHS will be used to help reduce the number of seniors and disabled Minnesotans who are forced into costly state run long term care facilities. Shifting priorities to home-based care, the state hopes to save money by installing home modifications that enhance safety, encouraging community services,[…]
Long Term Care Causes Medi-Cal Costs to Soar
The state of California will soon be facing massive pressure from the surge of seniors and cost of long term care support and services, according to a new UC Berkeley report.
Rising Costs
As the number of seniors rapidly increases, the burden of extended health care on the state Medicaid system Medi-Cal will continue to grow. The large-scale potential costs will have a massive impact on the state run program in the future. Researchers project an 88 percent increase in public expenditures for institutional long term care over the next[…]
Is Self-Insuring for Long Term Care the Way to Go?
People tend to avoid discussing subjects like disability, old age, and long term care as much as possible. Sometimes, even to a point of detriment. Brushing off the need for long term care coverage for the alternative plan of self-insuring is one situation that is often the result of failing to confront the true risk.
Discuss Your Options
Aging brings about a higher chance of needing long term care, which is care for someone who is unable to perform daily tasks on their own. Sometimes this is due to dementia or[…]
Now Is the Time to Talk Long Term Care With Your Aging Parents
A recent MarketWatch article discusses one of the biggest obstacles that people encounter when dealing with the long term care of a loved one, specifically a parent. Understanding their financial standing and what types of savings they have will better help you address their needs for care, but this is often not an easy task.
Preparing for the Cost
Adult children experiencing a long term care situation with parents who have been rendered disabled, ill, or in need of custodial care may run into some financial roadblocks along the way. The cost of care alone is enough to cause some major[…]