The Connecticut Elder Law Blog

Who's Eligibile for a Reverse Mortgage?

Many of my clients who are on fixed incomes and hurting in this down-economy often wonder if a reverse mortage is a viable option for helping them make ends meet.

Here are a few things to remember about eligibility for a reverse mortgage:

1.  You must be at least 62 years old.  If you're a married couple or co-owners then both of you need to be at least 62.

2.  You must own equity in the home.  An outstanding balance on the first mortgage is not a deal-breaker.

3.  The house must be your primary residence. 

If you need a referral for a good reverse mortgage specialist in the Hartford County area, please contact me off-line.

"Aging in Place" Has its Downsides Too...

I thought I'd pass along this thought-provoking article from Kaiser Health News. 

Whenever I'm called upon by the Probate Courts to act as a conservator for an elderly person my natural instinct is to always do whatever is necessary to allow the person to live at home for as long as possible. 

But Howard Gleckman's article reminds us that it ain't quite that simple.  Living at home is no cakewalk in most cases, particularly when it comes to addressing social issues. 

Health Care Reform Bill Encourages Home Care

It's a little challenging to digest all the moving parts of the current proposals for health care reform.  But one aspect of the Senate Finance Committee's proposal kinda jumped out at me: the "Community First Choice Option". 

This option provides partial federal Medicaid reimbursement to states that establish community support programs for people with disabilities.  Such programs would only apply to people who require an institutional level of care, caps on the number of people under the program would not be allowed, nor would waiting lists for services. 

Please note that the proposal does not make programs for home health care mandatory and it provides funding only for the next five years.  Nonetheless, this certainly falls under the "step in the right direction" category!

Click here for more detailed information on the proposal from the National Coincil on Independent Living (NCIL).

Medicare A,B,C's. And D's.

Many of my clients get confused between the Medicare and Medicaid programs, partially because the names of the programs are so similar.  Another source of confusion is the fact that nursing home care is mostly covered by Medicaid (if you qualify), but Medicare also covers the first few months of nursing home care (under certain conditions).  But I suppose confusion with government benefit programs is not unprecedented.

Please note that you don't need to worry about Medicare yet unless you're (a) age 65 or older, (b) under 65 with certain disabilities, or (c) any age with end-stage renal disease.

Anyways, here's a little primer on the Medicare alphabet.  Please remember that the extent and length of coverage varies greatly depending on the circumstances.

Medicare Part A ("hospital insurance"):  Covers inpatient care in hospitals.  Also covers some skilled nursing care, hospice and home health care.

Medicare Part B ("medical insurance"):  Covers doctors' care, outpatient care as well as some preventative care.

Medicare Part C ("Medicare Advantage Plans"):  A health coverage option run by private insurance companies (like HMO's and PPO's).  These companies have been approved by and under contract with Medicare.

Medicare Part D ("prescription drug coverage"):  Prescription drug coverage run by private companies, approved by and under contract with Medicare. 

That's as simple an explanation of the Medicare parts that you're going to find.  But of course, there are lots of details.  Please click here for the Medicare website, which is very comprehensive.