Want Free Long-Term Care? Try Medicare Part G.
Published: Fri, 02/06/15
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Want Free Long-Term Care? Try Medicare Part G.If you cannot view the image below, please read the article on our blog. Q. Nursing homes are so exorbitantly expensive. There is no way I can afford long-term care for myself, when the time comes, or for my husband, Morty. Is there any way to qualify for free long-term care in this country? A friend told me there's a Medicare Part G that pays for free long-term care, but that the coverage is a joke. I'm not sure what he meant by that. Can you explain?
A. Sure . . . if you're an older senior citizen and can no longer take care of yourself, the government says there's no Nursing Home care available for you. So, what do you do? You opt for Part G. Part G gives anyone 65 years or older a gun (that's Part G) and four bullets. You are allowed to shoot four politicians. This means, of course, that you'll be sent to prison where you'll receive three meals a day, a roof over your head, central heating & air conditioning, cable TV, library, and all the care you need. Need new teeth? No problem. Need glasses? That's great. Need a hearing aid, new hip, knees, kidney, lungs, sex change, or heart? They're all covered.
As an added bonus, your kids can come and visit you at least as often as they do now!
And, who will be paying for all of this? The same government that just told you they can't afford for you to go into a nursing home. And . . . you can get rid of 4 useless politicians while you're at it. And now, because you're a prisoner, you don't have to pay any more income taxes. Is this a great country or what?
As a member of the bar in Virginia, Maryland, and DC, and a law-abiding citizen, I of course do not condone murder or committing illegal acts to get incarcerated, and the above is a joke. But there is some truth to this joke when it comes to prisoners receiving free long-term care.
Older prisoners are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. prison population. According to a recent American Civil Liberties Union report, of the 2.3 million adults in state and federal prisons, there are approximately 250,000 seniors behind bars in this country. In 2014, it was estimated that the U.S. spends more than $16 billion annually caring for these aging inmates, and their numbers are projected to grow dramatically in the next 15 years.
And, what is considered to be "elderly" in prison isn't what most people think of as "old." The National Institute of Corrections considers prisoners over 50 to be "elderly" or "aging" because those who wind up behind bars have more frequently engaged in unhealthy behaviors -- like using narcotics or drinking -- than the general population. And they've also been less likely to receive regular medical care. Once they're locked up, the stress of prison life tends to prematurely age people, corrections experts say.
How are states responding to the growing number of elderly inmates?
If you are a senior in need of long-term care, is prison a better alternative than a costly nursing home? It may seem that way, but it really isn't. First, you can't pick your roommate or the denizens of your cell block. Second, you cannot leave and all your freedom is stripped. Third and most importantly, as your probably know, committing crimes is not ethical and hopefully not appealing to most of our readers.
So, what happens if you can't afford the 10-12,000 a month in Metro DC for a nursing home? You can take action that is completely ethical. You can plan for long-term care and prepare for the catastrophic costs of nursing homes, and we can help. If you or a loved one become a client of the Farr Law Firm, you may rest assured that everything that we do is absolutely, unquestionably, 100% legal and ethical. Attorneys in general have the highest ethical rules of any profession, and as a member of NAELA and a Certified Elder Law Attorney, I and my Elder Law colleagues subscribe to the NAELA Aspirational Standards for the Practice of Elder Law, which articulate ethical standards that raise the level of practice above the floor established by the basic rules of professional conduct. See NAELA's Aspirational Standards for more details. Read more on our website about Why Medicaid Planning is Ethical.
The Medicaid program is our country's largest health and long-term care insurer, covering one in six Americans, including two-thirds of nursing home residents and one in five persons under 65 with chronic disabilities. Do you have a loved one who is in a nursing home or nearing the need for nursing home care? Or are you simply looking to plan ahead in the event nursing home care is needed in the future? Life Care Planning and Medicaid Asset Protection is the process of protecting your assets from having to be spent down in connection with entry into a nursing home, while also helping ensure that you or your loved one get the best possible care and maintain the highest possible quality of life, whether at home, in an assisted living facility, or in a nursing home. Learn more at the Fairfax and Fredericksburg Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. website. Please call us in Fairfax at 703-691-1888, in Fredericksburg at 540-479-1435, in Rockville, MD at 301-519-8041, or in Washington, DC at 202-587-2797 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.
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Critter Corner: Spending Forever With Your Pet Dear Saki and Alley,
I am very attached to my cat, Jessie. We have been through thick and thin together. When I die, I would like to be buried with her. Is this a possibility?
Love,
Mike Att-Forever
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Dear Mike,
62% of households own and love pets, including cats, dogs, birds, fish and more. When it comes to cats, we can completely understand how you would want to spend forever with yours!
Unfortunately, most states either have laws specifically prohibiting pets and humans from being buried together or are silent on the issue. However, if you live in Virginia, you may be in luck. A bill passed in 2014 permits cemeteries to have clearly marked sections where pets and humans may be buried alongside one another. However, the pet must have been a companion animal under Virginia law and must have its own casket.
Other states that allow residents to be buried with a pet include New York and New Jersey. In these states, however, this can only occur in a pet cemetery. Although the laws of most other states prohibit burying pets in human cemeteries, funeral directors exercise discretion when it comes to placing cremated remains of a much-loved pet in people's coffins. For more details on pet-human burials, click here.
Many of us who think of our pets as family members want to ensure that they are cared for after we become incapable of doing so. One way to fulfill this responsibility is to set up a pet trust, which is a legally sanctioned arrangement that provides for the care and maintenance of your pet(s) in the event of your disability or death. For more details, read the Pet Trust FAQ on our Website. To set up a pet trust, or if you need to do planning for yourself or your loved ones, please make an appointment at the Farr Law Firm for a no-cost consultation.
Purrs,
Saki and Alley
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