Group Advocates for Major U.S. LTCI Reform

[Brian Anderson]

The Long-Term Care Financing Collaborative – a bipartisan group including AHIP, former state Medicaid directors, the Brookings Institute and more, says in a report released Monday the U.S. needs a new universal catastrophic LTCI program similar to Medicare and major improvements to Medicare’s long-term supports and services benefit.

The Collaborative is the third recent policy group to cite universal long-term care insurance as a necessary solution — and the one that goes the farthest in recommending it.

Some comments about it from one of the Collaborative’s founders, Howard Gleckman:

“Our insurance proposal would create an alternative to Medicaid for many middle-income people who now impoverish themselves paying for both long-term care and related medical expenses…”
“…But while there may be no single solution to these challenges, the universal catastrophic program we proposed is a financially sustainable plan that could help those who need care the most.”

Lots of recent calls for action, but will these types of reports move the needle at all?

Insurance Forums | Bipartisan group proposes major long-term care reforms

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

originally posted by Brian Anderson

Brian,
I've been in the business for 20 years and every 4 or 5 years there's always someone out there who thinks there's a better way.

Ask Mr. Gleckman how that "Class Act" worked out? The Class Act was supposed to be sustainable for 75 years. Upon additional review, it wasn't sustainable for 25.

Just wait until we get a Socialist president (more so, than we have now) and maybe he/she will solve the problem by just throwing more money at it.

Bern Baby Bern....................

 

[Mr_Ed]

The Long-Term Care Financing Collaborative – a bipartisan group including AHIP, former state Medicaid directors, the Brookings Institute and more, says in a report released Monday the U.S. needs a new universal catastrophic LTCI program similar to Medicare and major improvements to Medicare’s long-term supports and services benefit.

The Collaborative is the third recent policy group to cite universal long-term care insurance as a necessary solution — and the one that goes the farthest in recommending it.

Some comments about it from one of the Collaborative’s founders, Howard Gleckman:

“Our insurance proposal would create an alternative to Medicaid for many middle-income people who now impoverish themselves paying for both long-term care and related medical expenses…”
“…But while there may be no single solution to these challenges, the universal catastrophic program we proposed is a financially sustainable plan that could help those who need care the most.”

Lots of recent calls for action, but will these types of reports move the needle at all?

Insurance Forums | Bipartisan group proposes major long-term care reforms

None of the proposals are recommending the gov't fully fund LTC with gov't dollars and new taxes. They are all proposing some mix of federal reforms/funding with "new and improved" private LTC insurance.

The only one proposing to have the federal gov't pay for 100% of everyone's LTC needs is Bernie Sanders. But they don't even do that in Europe, Canada or the UK.

If a federal program for LTC is developed, even if Sanders becomes president, the program will not cover the full costs. Even Sanders plan doesn't cover the full cost of care (even though he says it does).

At some point, probably before 2020, there will be some program that combines public funding and private funding, which is what they do in Germany.

In Germany LTCi is mandated. Everyone pays for LTC insurance but the mandated program covers less than 50% of the cost of care. Everyone else can then buy private insurance to supplement the "base coverage" mandated by the gov't.

The sad part is that some people (a few people) will read the headline and think that LTC will be free for everybody.

 

[ltcadviser]

Bernie for President, baby!

✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡

 

[Mr_Ed]

Bernie for President, baby!

u r 2 funny.

 

[ltci4sure]

Bernie for President, baby!

a communist sympathizer ... who would have thought?

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

Here's a reply from Steve Moses, president for The Center For LTC Reform.

Thanks, Arthur. Here’s how I dealt with that.
Steve

Forbes Welcome

2/22/2016, “Yes, We Can Create A Universal Long-Term Care Insurance Program,” by Howard Gleckman, Forbes

Quote: “This morning, the Long-Term Care Financing Collaborative, released its recommendations. And they are built around two major reforms: a new universal catastrophic long-term care insurance program and major improvements to Medicaid’s LTSS benefit. Our insurance proposal would create an alternative to Medicaid for many middle-income people who now impoverish themselves paying for both long-term care and related medical expenses.”

LTC Comment: Yet another study group wasted three more years clinging to ideological bias and the lie that Medicaid requires impoverishment. If it did, we wouldn’t be in the mess were in. Building a new universal government entitlement program will worsen the country’s fiscal condition even as the age wave crests and crashes by 2030, likely sooner. Thankfully, this new wishful thinking has not a prayer of becoming reality. Much more probable and promising though less realized is a retrenchment of Medicaid LTC leading to more private long-term care financing from home equity and, in time, from private insurance. Remember, you saw it here first.

Stephen A. Moses, President
Center for Long-Term Care Reform
2212 Queen Anne Avenue North, #110
Seattle, WA 98109
Office: 206-283-7036
Fax: 206-283-6536
Email: [email protected]
Web site: Center for Long-Term Care Reform
The Center for Long-Term Care Reform is a private institute dedicated to ensuring quality long-term care for all Americans. Sign up for our LTC Bullets online newsletter and become a member of the Center at Center for Long-Term Care Reform.

 

[ltcadviser]

a communist sympathizer ... who would have thought?

Not communist.

Yiddishe Kop baby.

Get some matzo and some chopped liver in da house ...whoot.

✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡✡

Go Bernie

 

[Arthur Rudnick]

You're beginning to scare me Jack..................

 

[ltcadviser]

You're beginning to scare me Jack..................

Lol yeah. I back my brothers!