Most people do not realize the need for Medicare until they actually need it. The realization comes to them when they find themselves ailing and unable to afford to pay doctor and consultation fees as well as treatment fees and prescriptions. Just because one has always had good health throughout their 20s and 30s, they shouldn\’t think that automatically their health will remain that way. Lifestyle changes across the world, even for seniors, have deteriorated. Senior health services are available for many, especially from the age of 40 onwards. One may think that the age of 40 is too young to start thinking of senior health, but indeed it is not. It is important to know that Medicare enrollment can also be made available for people with disabilities and even veterans. It is important though to ensure that the senior services which are being offered are of quality. This is the reason why at age 40 one should start looking out for the best senior health program that they can enroll into. Senior advocates of this age have the advantage of being able to take the time out to plan their future health well, while giving considerations such as senior housing options. One would not want to end up in a housing scheme that has any complaints of elder abuse, for example. This is one of the things that Medicare tries to ensure doesn\’t happen in any senior health services.

Senior care is very sensitive and getting the right people who know how to do their job is important to having a happy stay at senior care. There are numerous ways to find out about Medicare services and availability for seniors, and some of the resources are readily accessible online. The nature of services available is also growing with time, and some of these are not just Long Term Care Insurance, but also medical supplements which have prescription coverage. There are other options available that are for employer groups and retiree health groups. Most importantly is guidance on how one can protect one self from Insurance fraud, which is a growing concern in the industry. Arming yourself with the information on senior health care is the first step to securing a well prepared future, not just financially but also having that psychological peace of mind without worry. Medicare enrollment is always a beneficial tool to have for your future because senior care needs come rushing one by one. It starts off with one small thing which when improper care is given, results in causing something else. It\’s almost like a down hill slide from there. Waiting until one is 50 or 60 is a bad idea; this is because by that age, most insurers prefer not to put the risk in covering you. It is advisable that at 40 one should look for an insurer that can cover long term senior health needs. Senior health services when purchased under a good long term health care insurance policy become more affordable.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/medicare-and-long-term-care-for-seniors-3756408.html

About the Author

Senior Health Services is the author of this article on Medicare Enrollment. Find more information about Senior Housing here.

Veterans of WWII, Korea and Vietnam have a little know benefit called the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension available to help pay for long term care.  The Veterans Administration doesn’t commonly offer information about the Aid and Attendance Pension that is not only available to the veteran but to their spouse or widow as well.  With today’s rising healthcare cost this benefit is a Godsend to veterans who need care.  It is often the money needed to be able to have care or live in an assisted living.  Let’s look at some of the specifics to qualify for the Veterans Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.

General Eligibility Requirements

Must have served during a period of war

The veteran must have served at least one day of active military service during one of these periods, served a total of 90 days of military service altogether, and had an honorable or general discharge.

Must require the need of an aid or attendant

The veteran or spouse must require an aid or attendant to assist them with at least one activity of daily living.  These activities include mobility, bathing, eating, dressing, or toileting.  In addition, diminished mental capacity would qualify as a criterion.  The aid or attendant can provide assistance with any of the above plus can serve in other capacities such as socialization, meal preparation, housecleaning, maintenance, etc. as long as the primary reason for the need is to help with one of the ADL’s.

The aid or attendant can be a professional, family member, or friend and the services can be provided in a residence, assisted living facility, or nursing home.  A resident of an assisted living facility or nursing home is deemed to be in need of such services.   Also, the blind are deemed to be in need.

If over the age of 65, the cause of disability does not have to be service related.  Alzheimer’s, stroke, Parkinson’s, etc. are all reasons for the need of an attendant.  If under the age of 65, the reason for disability must be service related if there is a partial disability.  For those veterans under the age of 65 with a full disability, the benefit may be available.

Must meet certain financial requirements

The need for aid and attendance must be supplemented by the need for financial assistance to pay for those services.  Eligibility is determined through both income and asset levels.  Unlike Medicaid planning, both incomes and all assets are considered for married couples.  But also unlike Medicaid Planning, there is currently no ‘look-back’ period for assets that have been gifted or removed from the veteran’s estate. 

When planning for the financial qualifications for the VA benefit, it is important to remember that the client may be a future prospect for nursing home confinement and that planning should be coordinated with Medicaid in mind.  Assets and income are treated differently and if the goal is protect some assets for a community spouse, a thorough understanding of how these two programs clash is essential.

Income Qualification

Income need is based on a formula that takes into consideration the applicant’s total household income less any unreimbursable medical expenses.  Uunreimbursable medical expenses is include Medicare premiums, prescription costs, co-pays and deductibles, over the counter medications and medical supplies. 

Asset allowance determinations are made on a case-by-case basis and take into consideration the total of assets, the life expectancy of the applicant, and other fixed expenses the applicant may be facing.  

If the monthly costs of all unreimbursed medical expense are greater than the client’s total household  income, they will be eligible for the FULL AID AND ATTENDANCE MONTHLY PENSION.

If the monthly costs of all unreimbursed medical expense is less than their income, but the resulting sum (income less expenses) is less than the threshold amount, they may be eligible for a PARTIAL AID AND ATTENDANCE MONTHLY PENSION.

The benefit amount is TAX FREE for the rest of their life.

Aid and Attendance Asset Qualification

Excluded assets include your primary home, car, pre-paid funeral (assigned or trust) and personal effects.  Everything else is available to be used to pay for care. The VA will assess disqualification if it appears that the applicant has sufficient assets to pay for the unreimbursed medical expenses based on their life expectancy.

What options are available to assist the client with qualification for Aid and Attendance?

Transfer of ownership – For people in assisted living or home environments, they are not ready or willing to transfer ownership of their assets to their children or other heirs.  They may still need funds for living expenses, travel, entertainment, etc. 

Veterans Care Solutions can help seniors transfer ownership without giving up control of their assets and having the money spent by those to whom they have transferred that ownership.  They will have access to the funds for their own use.  And, those assets can be transferred back to the applicant in the event Medicaid planning is necessary.

The Process to Apply for Aid and Attendance

The application process can take from 4 to 8 months.  If approved, the benefit will be paid retroactively to the first day of the month following the month of submission.  The application for Aid and Attendance benefits includes a complete medical history, financial accounting, and pharmacy and doctor reports.  The key to acceptance is completing the application properly the first time and including all the necessary information they will need to quickly determine your claim.  The VA is a large bureaucracy and tends to lose applications once they are set aside for further review or information requests.   Veterans Care Solutions specializes in guiding you on completion, submission, and follow-up of these forms. 

In addition to the application form, the following documents are needed:

Discharge/Separation Papers (DD-214)

Copy of Marriage Certificate and all marital information (if applicable)

Copy of the Death Certificate (surviving spouses only)

Copy of current Social Security Award Statement and any other income

Net Worth information

Proof of insurance premiums, medications, medical bills or any other medical expenses that are not reimbursed by insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid

Physician statement that includes current diagnosis, medical status, prognosis, name and address, ability to care for self, ability to travel unattended, etc

A statement of residency or level of healthcare service and the amount paid.

Summary

Veterans Care Solutions can assist you and your clients in applying and qualifying for the VA Aid and Attendance Program.  We conduct an initial screening to determine eligibility based on health factors and we will then conduct a financial interview to determine what, if any, steps they need to take to meet the financial qualification.  Veterans Care Solutions will also work with all family members and attorneys to assist them in understanding the steps that need to be taken, a timetable for those steps, and the results of the implementation of the plan. 

We then will guide you in completing the application so that it gets quickly approved.  We also work with and through home care, assisted living, and nursing home personnel to educate families and caregivers about these benefits.  We also assist these same personnel with communication tools to help them advertise this benefit to both current and prospective residents and clients.  .

We believe this benefit is a ‘thank you’ for the service to our country that these brave men and women and their families have made.  We are pleased to be able to honor them in this way.

The United States has fought many wars throughout the world since that time to keep freedom here at home and continues to do so. From the beginning our country we established a program to care for the men and women of our military who fought in those wars.

The veterans aid and attendance program goes back to 1636 when Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony fought with the Pequot Indians. The Pilgrims enacted a law from English law that reads, “If any man shall be sent forth as a soldier and shall return maimed, he shall be maintained competently by the colony during his life.” In 1789 U. S. congress passed as law that pensions were to be provided to disabled veterans and their dependents and in 1811 the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was completed. 

There are Veteran’s hospitals, out-patient centers, nursing homes, residental care facilities and Veteran’s homes throughout the country.  When it comes to long term care priority is given to war disabled veterans who need nursing home care.  There is another benefit to help Veterans pay for long term care  called  the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.  Veterans or their single surviving spouses can become eligible if they have a regular need for the aid and attendance of a caregiver or if they are housebound. Aid and Attendance care is defined as assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, medications, toileting, walking or a danger to oneself because of memory impairment.

The benefit is $1656 per month for the Veteran, $1949 for both the veteran and their spouse or $1056 for the surviving spouse, tax free for life.  To receive the Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one of those days during a period of war. Their must be a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 and older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no age or disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

To be eligible these must be an expense for care either provided by an in-home care provider, family member or assisted living.  VA also looks are income vs expenses and the veteran’s assets.  Unlike Medicaid VA allows redistribution of assets in order to qualify.  It is very important the you seek the assistance of a trained professional who also knows Medicaid laws before giving any assets away. 

The secret for receiving a successful award for aid and attendance or housebound ratings is not in filling out the form but in knowing what documents and evidence must be submitted with the application. Knowing the secrets for a successful award — with the special case of long term care recipients — is 95% of the battle. Even though the form is challenging, filling out and filing a claim is a formality.  A knowledgeable consultant can provide information to shorten VA’s decision window of 6 to 12 months to possibly 3 or 4 months. A Veteran’s benefit consultant also understands how to maximize the benefit or avoid a denial. The consultant can also provide guidance for meeting the asset test. Finally, a consultant can provide the actual strategies for reallocating assets and he or she can arrange for trusts or income conversions to allow for the best possible accommodation of assets for beneficiaries thus avoiding or reducing taxes, family disputes and Medicaid penalties.

Contact us today to help you get the benefits you deserve.  Call 866-837-2659 or info@agingavenues.com

http://www.agingavenues.com/topics/aid-attendance-pension-for-veteran-s-and-spouses

1.    Privately paying for care in means paying for care out of your own income, investments, savings and assets.  

2.    Long-term care insurance will help pay for in-home care, assisted living, and nursing home care. This is the most appropriate and needed form of insurance protection available to us today. Long-term care insurance should be termed “lifestyle” insurance (it’s NOT just nursing home insurance!). If your vision of your later years includes sitting at home in your own recliner, with your own remote control, watching your own TV….well, you should be planning for that future with long-term care insurance.

3.    Reverse mortgages (Home Equity Conversion Mortgages) have become one of the most popular and accepted way of paying for many different expenses, including the cost of long-term care. Reverse mortgages are designed to keep seniors at home longer. A reverse mortgage can pay for in-home care, home repair, home modification, and any other need a senior may have.  Reverse Mortgage Companies 

4.    VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit: The Veterans Administration has established a pension program whereby your purchase of personal care and attendant home services may be paid for through your acquired pension. If you are a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran who has served at least 90 days or more on active duty with one day beginning or ending during a period of war, and you are in need of assistance at home or in an assisted living due to your disabilities, you may be eligible for VA’s non-service connected disability pension.    The benefit pays from $1056-$1949 per month tax free for life.  See a Veterans Benefits Consultant.

5.  Life Insurance:  Some insurance companies offer long term care additional riders for life insurance policies. Other options may enable you to use your life insurance policy to help pay for long term care. Accelerated death benefits and viatical settlements (selling your policy to a third party) provide payments lower than the full value of the policy, but can make sense for those who are terminally ill or in poor health. A life settlement essentially sells your life insurance policy for its present value—often a wise choice for those who no longer need or want a policy.

6.  Long Term Care Annuity:   An annuity is a series of regular payments over a specified and defined period of time. The funds for the annuity come from a single premium payment that you make when establishing the account. There are two types of annuities: deferred and immediate.  A deferred annuity includes two funds. The interest-bearing long term care fund is used to pay for long term care services and insurance. The cash fund grows at a guaranteed rate of 3 percent. The monthly amount depends upon the annuity value and generally provides coverage for up to 3 years.  An immediate annuity  also provides long term care coverage. This generally requires completing a medical questionnaire the insurance company uses to determine the price and length of payouts. Once you pay a single premium payment, you are guaranteed a monthly income for the rest of your life.

7.    Government assistance is available but in very limited supply. The Central Indiana Council on Aging administers the state and federal available in-home assistance.  They offer meal delivery, transportation, homemaker services and attendant care.   The CHOICE program allows you to hire your adult child to be your caregiver and they get paid after completing their certification program.  Not all in-home services are based on your income.  Most seniors make above the allowable limit to qualify for Medicaid while in their home and need a little assistance.  Currently the Medicaid system only provides nursing home care when someone needs 24 hour care.   If you need nursing home care you can apply for Medicaid but first consult a Medicaid Planning Expert such as Aging Avenues.