Seven Medicare patients have filed a class action lawsuit challenging a Medicare policy that allows hospitals to place patients under observation for days on end rather than actually admitting them. If these patients then move to a nursing home, they are not eligible for Medicare coverage of the first part of their nursing home stay,…
If you have original Medicare, the doctor you visit can make a difference in how much you have to pay. While you can go to any doctor who accepts Medicare payments, if the doctor does not “accept assignment,” you can end up paying a lot more. (This does not apply to beneficiaries who are in…
A few years back, Seattle homeowner Bette Lalley and her adult daughter Darla Rude wanted to build a small house behind Lalley’s home so that the two could live nearby one another. Disappointed that the city didn’t allow construction of second homes on single-family lots in their neighborhood at that time, Lalley and Rude watched…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many baby boomers say they’re likely to stay put in retirement amid a shaky economy. Those who hope to buy a new place are looking for a smaller home somewhere with a better climate that’s more affordable and close to family, a new poll finds. The 77 million-strong generation born between 1946…
Here is Rajiv’s insight into the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) proposed training legislation, in which he takes into account 2 articles published this week in the Seattle Times… one on the News pages, the other on the Opinion Page. “I agree with the position that Initiative 1163 does not have the best interests of…
“Dez a whole lotta occupyin’ goin’ on out dere”!. (You have “hear” that statement as voiced by the cartoon character FogHorn Leghorn, who most folks recognize as having been overtly modeled after some quintessential U.S. Senator-type hailing from south of the Mason Dixon line.) Hey, I’ve had my fill of Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Seattle,…
As the baby boom generation ages, and many are considering whether they will need to have long-term care insurance, one of the first questions asked is “what are the odds that I will end up in a nursing home? Another is “what percentage of today’s elderly need this type of care?” According to the U.S.…
In a study published October 5, 2011 in the journal Neurology, people who rated their health as poor or fair were significantly more likely to develop dementia later in life than those who reported being in good health, the study found. The link was strongest among people who did not have any cognitive problems, where…
A Congressional briefing on “observation status,” sponsored by Congressman Joe Courtney (D. CT), was held yesterday afternoon to examine Medicare beneficiaries’ being denied Medicare coverage for care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) when their prior stay in an acute care hospital is labeled “outpatient observation” rather than inpatient. The Center for Medicare Advocacy organized…
Here is a revealing Met Life Study that delves into women’s attitudes and behaviors related to planning. It reveals a paradox that imperils their extra years with extra risks: Women in general have greater concerns about their retirement security yet do less than needed to plan for adequately addressing those concerns. Moreover, even when they…
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