The M&B Weekly 
 October 31, 2012 
Jane Dobisz
In this issue...
Protecting the Rights of Massachusetts Voters with Disabilities
CEUs for Social Workers!
Governor Deval Patrick Signs the Long-Term Care Insurance Bill into Law
Medicare Settlement Means More Nursing and Home Care Coverage for Seniors
Join Research Symposium on Alzheimer's Disease
  
 
 

Quick Links



Protecting the Rights of Massachusetts Voters with Disabilities  

Presidential elections are next week and polling stations around Massachusetts are preparing to welcome millions of voters. Voting is one of the most fundamental rights granted to American citizens, but as many as 3 million Americans with disabilities are "sidelined" on election day.  The good news is that federal and state law provide important protections for disabled voters, and Massachusetts voters with disabilities and their advocates need to be aware of community resources that are available to protect the exercise of this fundamental right.  

Click here to read the full article by Rebecca J. Benson.

CEUs for Social Workers!

 

Join Attorneys Harry S. Margolis and Christina T. Vidoli as they host our next Law School for Social Workers on Friday, November 16th, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Goddard House in Brookline.  Topics will include Planning for Incapacity, Benefits for Community Care, Veteran's Benefits, and Planning for MassHealth Eligibility.

 

Social Workers will receive two NASW approved CEUs.  The fee $30 in advance and $35 at the door with all proceeds going to FriendshipWorks, a volunteer program that provides companionship and assistance to the elders.

 

To register and for further information, click here or contact Rachel Sandler by e-mail (rs@margolis.com) or by telephone (617-267-9700).

Governor Deval Patrick Signs New Long-Term Care Insurance Estate Recovery Exception into Law

Governor Deval Patrick signed S2359
into law on October 27th, capping a long effort to strengthen state regulation of long-term care insurance (LTCI) and creating a more rational MassHealth estate recovery exception for owners of qualified policies.
 

The new law establishes guidelines for long-term care insurance consistent with those set forth in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Long -Term Care Insurance Model Act.  

 

Massachusetts has long had a unique incentive to encourage seniors to purchase LTCI, by exempting those with at least two years of coverage from MassHealth estate recovery should they ultimately need state assistance to pay for their care. However, MassHealth has limited the effect of this incentive by only granting it to those who still had two years of coverage when they moved to a nursing home.

 

The new law changes the requirement that the minimum be met "upon entry to a nursing home" to "when the policy was purchased", meaning there's no penalty for using insurance benefits to pay for home or assisted living care. The real benefits of the bill are that families can keep their loved ones at home longer, reduces dependency on MassHealth and it provides better options for advisors recommending long-term care insurance. 

Medicare Settlement Means More Nursing and Home Care Coverage for Seniors

The Center for Medicare Advocacy last week announced a landmark settlement in the case of Jimmo v. Sebelius that will mean expanded Medicare coverage of skilled nursing care for beneficiaries in nursing homes and at home.

 

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has long countenanced the so-called "improvement" standard which provided for skilled care in nursing homes or in the community following a hospitalization as long as the patient continues to show improvement, even though this standard is not in the law. Skilled nursing, physical or occupational therapy can also be necessary to help a patient maintain his current level of functioning or to slow her decline.

 

While the settlement still needs to be approved by a federal judge in Vermont, where the case is pending, since CMS has agreed to the change patients and their advocates should seek the benefit of the change immediately. It will likely have less of an effect in skilled nursing homes, where coverage is limited to 100 days following a hospitalization, than in the community where Medicare covered skilled care can continue indefinitely.

 

For more information about this settlement, click here                

Join Research Symposium on Alzheismer's Disease  

 

Please join presenter Dr. Kristine Yaffe as she discuss' her work on modifiable risk factors and the latest prevention models for intervention in Alzheimer's disease.  

Dr. Yaffe will be presenting at the Marriott in Newton, located at 2345 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton. 

 

Registration will start at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 8th.

 

Click here to learn more and to register.

Email:
  
Phone:
(617) 267-9700

 

Web:

        M&B GREEN NEWS 

                Compliments of Magdalena Lorenzo

 

With remnants of Hurricane Sandy still lingering for a great deal of us on the East Coast, it serves as a reminder of our climate crisis.  As the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, storms are becoming more powerful and more dangerous.  To read a recent blog post by Al Gore on climate change and the hurricane, click here.         green news

 

Please also take this time to consider volunteering your time or donating to an organization to serve those hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy.  Facebook and Twitter are two great resources to keep up with those most in need of help.