Bill Would Validate Personal Care Contracts
 Many families provide heroic care to loved ones who due to illness or dementia can no longer live on their own. Often a frail elder will pay the family member for this care. This may be what permits the caregiver to give up work outside the home or pay the rent or mortgage during this extended recession; it simply helps the caregiver to keep food on the table.
Unfortunately, MassHealth looks askance at these arrangements, usually deeming the payments to be a gift to the caregiver causing up to five years of ineligibility for MassHealth nursing home coverage . Often such denials are overturned on appeal, but the process can be long, uncertain, expensive and stressful.
Now, Rep. Kay Kahn and Sen. Mark Montigny have introduced a bill to require MassHealth to honor these arrangements. (H.B. 544; S.B. 299) It includes a provision permitting lump sum advance payments for future caregiver services under certain circumstances.
To support this bill, call your state senator or representative. Click here for a list of members and their contact information.
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What Should You Do with Your Investments in a Rising Market?
 
Next week at our First Monday Lunch Series for professionals Ryan Belanger of Claro Advisors, and Ousmane Diagne of Timbuktu Capital Management, LLC will discuss different investment opportunities and market conditions. Both have a low-cost approach to investment management but while Belanger eschews market timing as evidence shows its nearly impossible to time the market, Diagne argues that investors can benefit from taking advantage of opportunities in the market as they are identified.
The program will take place on Monday, June 3rd, from noon to 1:00 p.m. in our Boston office. Lunch is provided.
Click here to learn more and to register. |
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Is Medicaid Any Way to Fund Nursing Homes?
A recent issue of the Austin American-Statesman 
ontains a full-page ad on the back page of the first
section trumpeting "Priority #1 for Texas Legislature: Fix Texas Senior's Medicaid Nursing Home Funding."
Paid for by the Texas Health Care Association, the ad detailed $58 million in Medicaid cuts in 2011 and $51 million in Medicare cuts this year, as well as a shortfall of almost $1 billion in what is needed in the next two-year budget for the state. It describes the choices facilities will have to take to cut costs, which will necessarily affect the care they provide to seniors and younger disabled residents of nursing homes in Texas. The fact is that it calls for increased funding for Medicaid, which is the primary source of payment for nursing home and other long-term care services in the country.
Click here to learn more. |
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RESOURCE: Holocaust Services
Jewish Family & Children's Service provides counseling, benefits and other services to Holocaust victims. Though the number of victim is dwindling, their needs can be great. Funded by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, this can include both emergency financial assistance and funding for home care. For more information, call: 1-781-647-5327 |
