“Changes in Medicaid Rules May Pose Stark Choice for the Chronically Ill”

“Changes in Medicaid Rules May Pose Stark Choice for the Chronically Ill”
By Anemona Hartocollis
The article discusses the controversial place that thousands of Medicaid dependent elderly, are soon to be in. For years, New York’s Medicaid has been supplementing elderly who are applicable for both in home care, and institutionalized aid. New York’s understanding was that healthcare costs were to be covered if one spouse needed extensive long term care in order to keep the couple out of financial distress. This burden was taken over by the Medicaid office because living off of one person’s income was deemed hard enough. There are eligibility requirements such as combined income can not total $2,739 a month and assets can not total $109,560, with the exception of houses, cars, and other specified assets.
The federal offices of Medicare and Medicaid have now charged this rule. Medicaid will no longer be able to supply elderly receiving at home long term care with health coverage. This new regulation, which leaves couples like the Robinsons who receive $2,343 a month for living expenses, with two choices; one they can divorce at the ages of 84 and 64 to receive the health benefits, or two, Ms. Robinson, who is suffering from an end stage renal disease can stop receiving care, which includes at home dialysis. The regulation was supposed to go into effect December 2008, but due to the hard working elderly attorneys and health department, it is pushed back until March.
New York is the only state using Medicaid funds in such a way.

Hartocollis, A. (2009, January 23). Retrieved January 28, 2009, from The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/24/nyregion/24spouse.html

What LTC means to me?

Long term care, LTC, means a lot in the health care world. To me, LTC, means to make accommodations on a long term basis for individuals who physically and mentally are incapable of independent living for whatever clinically diagnosed reason. From that description, two more specific meanings can be derived. First, LTC is responsible for accommodating individuals on long term basis. Unlike acute care, which can be anywhere from a day trip to a three month stay in a hospital. LTC requires maintenance from licensed and trained staff. The care provided is based on individual needs with intentions of rendering care for the remainder of the individuals' life unless noted by other medical professionals.

The other meaning that can be related to LTC is the capability of accommodating individuals with a diagnosed illness, either mental or physical that requires extensive care due to impairments. The impairments do not have to be limited to physical handicaps but also mental ones that do not allow an individual to function solely on their own accord. Long term care has many interpretations and meanings and entails much more than was mentioned.