Seniors Face Emotional, Physical and Financial Burdens
By Steve Rainey
The
continuous debate and
ever-changing regulations in
State capitals and in both Houses
of Congress about Social
Security, health care and Medicaid
confuses most seniors and
estate planners. One of the unfortunate
consistencies with all the rules and policies enacted
by the governmental powers-that-be are that senior
citizens are being penalized for being responsible and
having saved for retirement.
Here, in Louisiana, the Department of Health and Hospitals aggressively tries to enroll the uninsured (including illegal immigrants) in various tax-payer funded programs. At the same time they use their considerable power in trying to prevent older citizens from qualifying for help under Medicaid. In fact, experiences with the Medicaid Office has convinced me that they hate the fact that we (at S.A.F.E. Planning) teach citizens how to legally shelter assets and help them qualify for long term care benefits. I remember with pride a past article in the Times Picayune that carried the headline, "Loophole Lets Medicaid Pay for Nursing Home." In the article they correctly claimed that, "S.A.F.E. Planning in Shreveport has earned certain notoriety among State officials for aggressively exploiting Medicaid eligibility loopholes."
November/December 2007 www.savvyandsage.com 15 Seniors need help so they will not be penalized for saving their hard earned salaries. These are people who have worked all their lives and put away money for their "old age" or to leave to their children. Many of them served in the armed forces, fought in wars and sacrificed materially so they could "save" some money. They have not received welfare or asked for government funding to feed or educate their children. Yet, if they are struck down with catastrophic illness, they do not have access to the same benefits as those who have lived off government assistance programs their whole lives -- unless they spend down to poverty level! Along with the loss of financial stability, this is also a tragic blow to their pride and independence.
Lawmakers need to understand the tremendous emotional burden that comes with having a spouse ravaged by a disease such as Alzheimer’s. Add to that the physical burden they are under trying to care for their sick one 24 hours, seven days a week. Then because of unfair laws they are hit with a tremendous financial blow when they are told that the government requires them to spend down everything they have worked for before they will be eligible for assistance. What happens if they recuperate and get out of an assisted care facility? They have no funds to live on. This is not right – not when the government throws money at other programs that take care of people who have self-inflicted problems due to drug and alcohol abuse or sexual permissiveness.
The people who have been the backbone of our tax system should not be penalized when they need help. Estate planners should make it their business to understand Medicaid long-term care qualifications. I am proud that we can provide this tremendous service to a segment of society that has far too few people looking out for their interests. Every legal means needs to be used to take some of the burden off this "greatest generation" and give them the help they deserve. How wonderful if our lected officials applied their power and energies to righting his wrong!
©
2007 S.A.F.E. Planning. Inc.