Admitting a loved one to a nursing home can be very stressful. In addition to dealing with a sick family member and managing all the details involved with the move, you must decide whether to sign all the papers the nursing home is giving you. Nursing home admission agreements can be complicated and confusing, so what do you do?
A recent study found that 46 percent of long-term care claimants were under the age of 65 at the time of disability. When thinking about long-term care planning and qualifying for assistance there a few options to consider. Medicaid eligibility calculates a person’s assets and if you have life insurance it could be considered an asset.
Learning of unexpected expenses related to “in-patient” vs. “observation” hospital status leaves many hospitalized patients and their families confused and upset. And, when they find out that a “three overnight stay” in the hospital did not count as a pre-condition of payment of care in a skilled nursing facility when rehab is needed, the related expenses can rapidly deplete hard earned savings. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued notice of proposed rulemaking published in the Federal Register on July 30, 2012, and is asking for public comment. Take the opportunity to share your experience with observation status and to recommend changes that you believe would improve access to medically necessary hospital and skilled nursing facility care!
Families hoping to use Medicaid to help pay for long-term care are facing tougher restrictions—though some states are getting stricter than others.