NOVEMBER 16, 2009 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 61
Do you wonder what will happen if you are no longer able to live independently? Will you have to “go into a home?” Is a nursing home the only way to go, or are there other living situations that might allow more independence? What will happen to your spouse? And who will pay for all of this? Medicare? Medigap insurance? Your kids? Is long term care insurance the answer?
Elders whose care is not covered by Medicare (and beware, Medicare covers only a limited period of “skilled” nursing care) have to look to Medicaid for help. Arizona has its own Medicaid program, the Arizona Long Term Care System (ALTCS). Unlike Medicare, which is available to elders above age 65, ALTCS applicants must qualify both medically and financially. The financial eligibility criteria are stringent and complex.
Victoria Blair, one of the partners at Fleming & Curti, PLC, offers a two hour program to address just these sorts of questions on Wednesday, January 27th and Thursday, January 28th. We will serve a continental breakfast and we promise to answer your questions about planning for (and paying for) long term care.
Both programs will include a discussion of the basics of ALTCS. Wednesday’s session will focus on our clients who are considering long term care options for themselves or a loved one. Thursday’s session will be a little more technical, and aimed at case managers, social workers and other professionals who want to better assist their clients. You are welcome to attend either session. There will be no charge for either program, but space is limited and reservations must be secured in advance.
Who should come to ALTCS School? Anyone who is thinking seriously about nursing home care, assisted living or in-home care, or is just curious about the options. Anyone who is contemplating purchasing a long term care insurance policy. Case managers and social workers are welcome (especially at Thursday’s session) and will leave with a clearer understanding and with answers to their questions about the system.
Ms. Blair will explain the medical and financial eligibility criteria for ALTCS. She will review what resources the “healthy” spouse can keep — a house, a car, money to live on — and strategies for “spend down.” She will review the penalties for making gifts (or selling assets for less than their value) to family members. And she will go over long term care insurance policies: what they cost, what they cover, and whether purchasing such a policy makes sense for you and your family.
To attend: contact Yvette in our office at (520) 622-0400 or by e-mailing our office. Please be sure to provide us with contact information and indicate whether you prefer to attend the client/layperson session on January 27th or the social worker/case manager/allied professional session on January 28th.
