Keystone Blog
Expanded Coverage for Medicare Advantage Plans
In April 2018, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an increase in the amount of payments towards Medicare Advantage Plans and expanded the definition for “primary health-related benefits.” While the increase in payments certainly benefits...
Prenuptial Agreements and Medicaid
It comes as a shock to many people when they learn that, in Pennsylvania and most other states, pre-nuptial agreements are disregarded if one of the spouses of that “second” marriage needs care in a skilled nursing facility which could qualify for Medicaid...
Policy Shifts Discourage Hospital Admission
The healthcare needs of retired Americans have led to growing costs of staggering proportions that are already too big to manage with an outcome which pleases all parties. Clearly, Congress, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), hospitals, and...
FAQ Regarding Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts
What is a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust? It is an irrevocable trust that (if drafted properly) protects the assets transferred to it from counting as resources for Medicaid qualification purposes. When the Trust is signed, a new legal entity is created. There are...
Dementia: Why Are They Acting Like That?
Symptoms of dementia are often subtle during the early stages of a disease process and progress gradually. Surprisingly, people who are experiencing dementia can be quite skilled at covering up their deficiencies for a period of time. Sometimes changes which are...
Your New Caregiver is… a Robot??
The combination of a growing aging population with increasing care needs, and not enough family members and paid caregivers to meet current demand, has opened the door for technology to help fill the gaps. As a nurse who has provided care in a variety of settings...
Pennsylvania, Guns and Dementia
CBS News cited Census data to list Pennsylvania as the eleventh most heavily-armed state, with 88,732 registered firearms among 5,928,814 people. In launching the Alzheimer’s State Plan Task Force, Governor Wolf said “over 400,000 Pennsylvanians are living with...
Penalty Relief for Late Medicare Enrollment
Health care coverage has been a hot topic in politics for a number of years now. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, some confusion has resulted for people who have also become eligible for Medicare during this time. Late enrollment in Medicare can lead to...
Are You Aging Alone?
I often receive telephone calls from individuals who are seeking information regarding care for a spouse or aging parents. The demographics of our country’s older adult population are beginning to change, however. Increases in the number of adults who are childless...
Is Independence Always the Best Choice for Older Adults?
Independence, or the “freedom from outside control or support” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary), is one of the fundamental principles upon which our nation was founded. Independence continues to be a core value in American culture today, and thoughts of shared...
