January 2nd, 2014 By: Alyssa Gerace A major Chicago-based long-term care insurer is being sued by an elderly group policyholder who says the company “abruptly” changed its policy and began denying her claims for assisted living care, according to Courthouse News Service. The company, CNA, provides group long-term care insurance and initially sought to hike premiums for... Read more…
January 3rd, 2014 By The Associated Press Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans will grow more slowly in 2014 than it did the past couple years, predicted a Citi analyst who follows health insurers. Insurers have cut benefits and scaled back coverage, which may make it harder for them attract new customers, said Citi’s Carl McDonald... Read more…
December 25th, 2013 By Tony Provine IMAGINE this: You’re 68 years old. You were recently hospitalized due to an urgent condition. After three days you were discharged to a nursing facility for a few weeks of therapy and recovery. Now you’re on the mend and your mind is eased by the knowledge that your hospital stay,... Read more…
December 19th, 2013 By Allison Bell Medicare actuaries strangled the Community Living Assistance and Support Services (CLASS) public long-term care (LTC) finance program just two years ago, but some health policy makers say Congress is going to have to come up with some other kind of new public LTC program sooner or later. Sen. Bill Nelson,... Read more…
November 20th, 2013 Author/Editor: Susan C. Reinhard (AARP Public Policy Institute), Carol Levine (United Hospital Fund), and Sarah Samis (United Hospital Fund) This report shows that employed family caregivers, despite their workplace obligations, perform many of the tasks that health care professionals do—a range of medical/nursing tasks including medication management, wound care, using meters and... Read more…
December 12th, 2013 Tim Mullaney, Staff Writer Nursing homes still account for the vast majority of long-term care services available in the United States despite policies meant to encourage home- and community-based care, according to a new government report. The first-ever “National Study of Long-Term Care Providers” includes data on the capacity and operational characteristics... Read more…
December 12th, 2013 By Sharon Jayson, USA TODAY The first-ever compilation of federal data profiles five types of long-term care providers in 2012. About 58,500 long-term care providers are divided among five groups, including nursing homes and adult day services. among 58,500 entities and nearly 1.5 million nursing employees and the people who use them.... Read more…
December 7th, 2013 By: Expert Click Los Angeles; December 7, 2013 – Virginia, like many states, is faced with a serious problem as an aging population will be impacted by the need for long term care services. A new report highlights some of the critical issues facing Virginia residents and taxpayers. “The population of seniors... Read more…
December 6th, 2013 By Allison Bell Executives at Genworth Financial Inc. (NYSE:GNW) held a conference call Wednesday to sell shareholders and securities analysts on the idea that staying in the long-term care insurance (LTCI) makes sense. Some analysts have written about insurers’ LTCI units in recent years as if they were radioactive. Tom McInerney, Genworth’s president,... Read more…
December 4th, 2013 By Zachary Tracer Genworth Financial Inc., the largest seller of long-term care coverage, is counting on periodic rate increases of 2 percent to 4 percent to maintain profit targets, after larger insurers retreated from the business to limit risk. “I don’t think it’s prudent to be in this business unless you can,... Read more…