The M&B Weekly       
November 5, 2013  
 
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Jane Dobisz
In this issue...
"Obamacare" Should Be of No Concern to Medicare Beneficiaries, Although Scammers May Tell You Otherwise
Law School for Social Workers to Focus On MassHealth
When Should You Call an Elder Mediator?
Resource: The Basic Rules for MassHealth Eligibility
  

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Quick Links
"Obamacare" Should Be of No Concern to Medicare Beneficiaries, Although Scammers May Tell You Otherwise 

Starting October 1st, individuals who lack health insurance have been able to (at least in theory) start signing up for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act ("Obamacare").  Most of those who don't already have insurance will have to buy coverage by March 31, 2014, or pay a penalty.

But if you already have Medicare, you don't have to do anything.  Your coverage will continue as before (better than before, in fact) and you don't need to do anything.  Any stranger who tries to tell you otherwise is likely trying to steal your personal information.

Click here to learn more.
Law School for Social Workers to Focus On MassHealth

Join attorney Patricia C. D'Agostino on
Thursday, November 14th, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Providence House as she hosts our next Law School for Social Workers.  Topics will include MassHealth coverage for long-term care in a nursing home, and MassHealth coverage for care in the "community," which is care at home or in an assisted living facility.  Social Workers will earn two CEUs.

Click here to learn more and to register.
When Should You Call In an Elder Mediator?

Crystal Thorpe of Elder Decisions
recently spoke at a MassHealth planning
program on families, attorneys and other professionals about how mediation may be used to resolve family disputes that otherwise would go unaddressed or lead to costly and traumatic litigation.  Often disagreements and misunderstandings lead to families breaking apart, affecting descendants for generations.  A successful resolution can preserve family ties for the benefit of the entire family tree.  

Click here to learn more.
Resource:  The Basic Rules for MassHealth Eligibility 

For all practical purposes, in
the United States the only "insurance" plan for long-term institutional care is Medicaid (called "MassHealth" in Massachusetts). Medicaid only pays for about 23 percent of long-term care costs in the United States. Private insurance pays for even less. The result is that most people pay out of their own pockets for long-term care until they become eligible for MassHealth. While Medicare is an entitlement program, MassHealth is a form of welfare -- or at least that's how it began. So to be eligible, you must become "impoverished" under the program's guidelines

Click here to learn more.