May 15th, 2012 Medical advances have extended our life span, but they haven’t made us immune from having a heart attack, stroke or being diagnosed with cancer. While any of the above diagnosis is no longer a death sentence, they carry a heft treatment cost. Medical insurance helps reduce costs, but most plans don’t cover... Read more &... Read more…
January 26th, 2014 By Ronald D. White First, the cancer threatened Susan Braig’s life, then it wrecked her finances. Now healthy at 64, Braig is worried about her future. Her primary income is the roughly $2,300 a month she gets from Social Security. Then there’s her home-based business, which brings in an average of $750 a... Read more…
January 28th, 2014 By Shereen Jegtvig A treatment introduced less than 10 years ago has already made a difference in the number of Americans losing their vision and being admitted to nursing homes, according to a new study. Two Duke University economists looked at Medicare beneficiaries with so-called “wet” macular degeneration and found those diagnosed after... Read more…
January 23rd, 2014 By Tim Mullaney The Intercompany Long Term Care Insurance Conference Association, Inc. (ILTCI) today announced its 14th annual conference (http://www.iltciconf.org), March 16-19 at the Rosen Centre in Orlando. 800+ long-term care insurance (LTCi) specialists are expected to attend, to learn more about how to better support retirement planning for baby boomers and... Read more…
January 23rd, 2014 By Tim Mullaney By following practices that are common in home-based hospice care, nursing homes can improve the comfort and dignity of residents who are dying, according to new study results. More than 1,600 staff members at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers participated in the trial, during which they received training in palliative... Read more…
January 23rd, 2014 By Janet Kidd Stewart As long-term care insurance costs continue to push higher, consumers are grappling with the prospect of skimpier benefits or alternative strategies. Policies from several years ago “were cheaper, had better daily benefits and unlimited riders — things that don’t exist today,” said Jessica Ness, director of financial planning for Glassman... Read more…
January 20th, 2014 By Hayley Tsukayama As more baby boomers enter retirement, many may see their homes get a high-tech makeover. Their medicine bottles will alert their doctor when they miss a dose. Pressure-sensing floor mats can sense when they have fallen or let caregivers know when a patient hasn’t showered for a while. Honeywell is... Read more…
January 17th, 2014 By KAREN DEMASTERS Long-term health care products are evolving quickly, in some cases being combined with annuities or life insurance policies, and advisors need to keep up with the changes, says one consultant. “Financial advisors need to start the conversation about long-term care with their clients and then go to experts for the... Read more…
January 6th, 2014 By Steven Reinberg The rate of cancer deaths among Americans continues to decline, according to a new report. Over the last 20 years, the overall risk of dying from cancer has dropped 20 percent, researchers found. The fastest decline in cancer death risk has been among middle-aged black men, for whom death rates... Read more…
January 6th, 2014 The privately run Medicare plans known as “Medicare Advantage” have been in the political crosshairs of the Obama White House. Even after facing steep cuts under Obamacare, the Advantage plans are now slated to take a brand new round of reductions in 2015. These new cuts will cause the private Medicare option... Read more…