If historic trends continue, it's estimated that about 43% of baby boomers will need some type of nursing home or extended living care at some point after they reach the age of 65. Daily costs for nursing home care can exceed $300 per day, making paying for such care very difficult for many people. That's why about 50% of all nursing home residents use Medicaid to pay for long-term care costs. However, not everyone qualifies for Medicaid, and there are many myths surrounding the program and what … [Read more...] about Myths About Medicaid Payments for Long-Term Care
Medicaid
Supreme Court Limits Health Care Law’s Medicaid Punishment Provisions
The Supreme Court of the United States recently issued its ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, declaring that the law's “individual mandate” is constitutional and can stand as written. However, it also ruled that the Medicaid expansion provisions as written in the law are not allowable. Under the health care law, states will have to expand Medicaid coverage to include anyone who qualifies under specific income guidelines. Previously, only the impoverished, elderly, those … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Limits Health Care Law’s Medicaid Punishment Provisions
Medicaid Expansion Means More Healthcare Options For Many
Though the Supreme Court is considering a challenge that may make the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act unconstitutional, a recent Wall Street Journal article points out that as long as the law is not overturned, millions more Americans will be able to use Medicaid as a viable health care planning option. Medicaid began its life as a joint federal and state program designed to provide healthcare insurance to the impoverished, elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with … [Read more...] about Medicaid Expansion Means More Healthcare Options For Many
State Employee Steals Patient Medicaid Data in South Carolina
South Carolina officials have recently charged a former state employee with six criminal counts in relation to an alleged theft of confidential Medicaid patient information. Christopher Lykes Jr., 36, allegedly stole personal information on more than 225,000 South Carolina state Medicaid recipients. Mr. Lykes had been a project manager with the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, a position that allowed him to access the data. If convicted of all criminal charges, Mr. Lykes … [Read more...] about State Employee Steals Patient Medicaid Data in South Carolina
Obesity Rise = Rise in Medicaid Expenditures
Though the rise in obesity in America is nothing new, what is new is our understanding of exactly how this increase in body weight is affecting everything from gas consumption to Medicaid expenditures. Numerous recent studies have gone to great lengths to detail the financial impact the obesity epidemic is having on America's health care system. It's estimated that about 34% of all Americans are obese, while another 6% are morbidly obese. That means there are more than 120 million Americans who … [Read more...] about Obesity Rise = Rise in Medicaid Expenditures
Medicaid Hack Reveals Sensitive Information
Officials from the Utah Department of Health issued a statement in late March saying that Eastern European hackers had stolen the personal information of 24,000 Medicaid recipients. However, as the state continued investigating the security breach, it has continued to increase the number of affected individuals. The state is now saying that almost 900,000 Medicaid recipients have had their personal information compromised because of the breach. The security problem happened because a server … [Read more...] about Medicaid Hack Reveals Sensitive Information
Medicaid Planning Becomes More Difficult As States Impose Stricter Limits
According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, people planning on using Medicaid for long-term care coverage are facing tougher restrictions. In most states, a person cannot be eligible for Medicaid unless he or she has no more than $2,000 worth of investments, excluding a house and a car. This $2,000 limit includes any gifts that person has given for up to five years. With Medicaid planning you can structure your assets so you can still take advantage of the Medicaid coverage. … [Read more...] about Medicaid Planning Becomes More Difficult As States Impose Stricter Limits
Emergency Room Visits Higher For Medicaid Patients
A new study released recently analyzed the survey results of over 230,000 people and found that those receiving Medicaid have a much higher chance of visiting an emergency room over the past year than those with private insurance carriers. The study looked at data gathered by the US national health interview survey between 1999 and 2009. About 40% of Medicaid patients had visited an emergency room within the last year, while only about 18% of people with private insurance did the same. The … [Read more...] about Emergency Room Visits Higher For Medicaid Patients
Supreme Court Medicaid Decision May Be Far Reaching
In late March, the Supreme Court finished hearing oral arguments on the case challenging the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law passed early in the Obama administration. Though much of the media attention has focused on whether the so-called “individual mandate” is constitutional, the Medicaid expansion provisions, and how the Court rules on it, may turn out to be the key legal legacy of this case. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid coverage will extend to Americans based not … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Medicaid Decision May Be Far Reaching
Medicaid Set To Expand
Under the terms of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or PPACA, the number of people eligible to receive medical care under the Medicaid program is set to expand in less than two years. The PPACA contains provisions that will allow 16 million more Americans to be covered under the Medicaid safety net. The law states that starting in January of 2014, anyone who has a household income of up to 133% of the federal poverty level can receive Medicaid whether the person is employed or … [Read more...] about Medicaid Set To Expand
