[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Susan1717

We have all worked hard for our money and let’s just hope that we have children to where If we give them money they will save it and use it to take care of us when we need it! I know I trust my son explicitly! And some of the threads I’ve read have said they think it’s awful for people to live off of Medicaid later? Well, I would rather see the government take care of its own senior citizens then spending billions on illegal immigrants, that’s just my opinion.

I agree.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by jimjamuser

Medicaid and Medicare programs are SOCIAL programs designed to give the US a better, more stable SOCIETY. If there were no Medicaid then MANY older retired people would be FORCED to turn to a life of CRIME in order to eat and have a roof over their heads. If this many people turned to crime, it would cost SOCIETY MORE than the costs of Medicare and Medicaid are today.
.......Social programs give a country stability. To be a 1st world country you need stability and the rule of law.

If only the truly needy and unable to care for themselves financially were served, Medicaid would be very worthwhile. Right now, Medicaid is a joke.

Are there some older citizens needing assistance? Yes, but most would survive with just a little larger stipend. If they gave their money away early, I have no sympathy.

I would rather save this country than see the kids of senior citizens get a gift to buy a new boat, buy that second home on a lake, a new car, pay off their mortgage rather than paying the tab themselves and so forth. We're not just talking about screwing the country by making it pay for our senior aging, we're talking about breaking the financial back of the USA.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Arlington2

Canada appears to be developing a scary approach. "Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) is an end-of-life option for Canadians accounting for 2% of all deaths in Canada in 2019. Adults over 80 years old represent a significant proportion of these deaths..."
Characteristics of Older Adults Accessing Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD): a Descriptive Study - PMC

And there is discovery of further abuse as reported in a Oct 2024 article. "Assisted dying is being abused in Canada with doctors coercing patients into ending their lives, members of the group who helped to legalise it have admitted."
Access Denied

Any system can be abused. Or some media person could DECIDE it is being abused, just to publish an article. I would prefer to have the option of ending my life if that future life consisted of all pain and suffering with zero change of improvement. It gives people an additional option. They do NOT have to take that option. Hopefully, the end of life Doctors in Canada should decide in some group fashion to RECOMMEND it to the patient and their family if they have any.
......There should be controls in place so that the concept does NOT get abused.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

The post about Medicaid expansion was NOT misinformation. Yes, it was state specific, but 40 states opted in to the expansion. It greatly expanded and increased the cost of the Medicaid program. A lot of people, who were happy with their private health insurance, lost that coverage and were forced to sign up for Medicaid instead. The ACA was an attempt to move closer to a national health care system.

I agree that the ACA is an attempt to move toward a National Health Care. And that is a GOOD THING not a bad thing.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I am looking towards another option . I’m most likely going to end up in a place in Thailand ,called Care Resort Chiang Mai . I can afford a nice place here ,but nothing like the place in Thailand . you have your own villa ,many sizes to choose from on beautiful grounds , and can transition from independent to assisted living to memory care ,always being treated with individual care takers , most of the people living at the resort are westerners everything about this place and others around the world are first class , I’m in my mid 80’s and much of my early years were spent in Asia , so ending it there would mean a full circle of my life is complete I’ve researched very nice places here and Boston and you still end up with a parking lot view , that’s not for me

That is an interesting solution. Probably not for everyone, but I hope that it works out well for you.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by Aces4

If only the truly needy and unable to care for themselves financially were served, Medicaid would be very worthwhile. Right now, Medicaid is a joke.

Are there some older citizens needing assistance? Yes, but most would survive with just a little larger stipend. If they gave their money away early, I have no sympathy.

I would rather save this country than see the kids of senior citizens get a gift to buy a new boat, buy that second home on a lake, a new car, pay off their mortgage rather than paying the tab themselves and so forth. We're not just talking about screwing the country by making it pay for our senior aging, we're talking about breaking the financial back of the USA.

I agree. It seems like there is a lot of potential to ABUSE the system. I am NOT an expert in this subject, so I can't say for certain if the current system is good or bad. I would be happy if the US government looked into the pros and cons of National Health Care and then maybe had a national vote on it.
........But I won't "hold my breath" because it is unlikely to happen.

[DaddyD]

Originally Posted by charlieo1126@gmail.com

I am looking towards another option . I’m most likely going to end up in a place in Thailand ,called Care Resort Chiang Mai . I can afford a nice place here ,but nothing like the place in Thailand . you have your own villa ,many sizes to choose from on beautiful grounds , and can transition from independent to assisted living to memory care ,always being treated with individual care takers , most of the people living at the resort are westerners everything about this place and others around the world are first class , I’m in my mid 80’s and much of my early years were spent in Asia , so ending it there would mean a full circle of my life is complete I’ve researched very nice places here and Boston and you still end up with a parking lot view , that’s not for me

Ditto!!

I'm likely younger than most people here, but my plan is to find some type of CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community) in Asia (Thailand, Philippines, or Vietnam) or Mexico or somewhere in Central or South America. My money will go a LOT further in any of these countries (I'll likely be able to afford a private 24/7 caregiver), and in my opinion, from a cultural standpoint, the elderly are looked up to, not down on, as they mostly are in this country.

I don't know how up-to-date this is, but below is a list of elder care facilities in northern Thailand:

List of care homes in Chiang Mai Thailand

[Boomer]

We have had a LTC policy for almost 20 years. A few years ago the rates started to go up and the increase has been significant. We just hold our noses and pay the damned bill and write it off to the cost of sleep while hoping we never have to use the policy. We bought it as asset protection for each other. Paying for one in a nursing home would be hard enough on assets. Two would be horrendous.

A non-profit CCRC (Continuum of Care Retirement Community) can be a solution for those who can afford it. A CCRC can take you all the way through from independent living to hospice, if need be. But you have to pay to get in. If you go into independent living, the entry cost can depend on the size of your place, everything from very small on up. Some even have individual houses. There is a monthly fee also in independent living and sometimes meals can be included.

The CCRCs I know about are classified as non-profits and have endowments. They do not kick you out if you run out of money. But their actuaries have to let you in. (I don't know if all CCRCs are non-profits with endowments.)

I think some areas of the country have more CCRCs than others. There is one in Ft. Myers called Shell Point that my BIL looked at a few years ago. He liked it but did not go there. It might be worth looking into for some of you who want to stay in Florida. I don't know how Freedom Pointe in TV works.

You can look places up on medicare.gov and it will tell you if a place is a CCRC. If choosing one of those, starting with independent living seems to be the way to go.

Boomer

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Boomer

We have had a LTC policy for almost 20 years. A few years ago the rates started to go up and the increase has been significant. We just hold our noses and pay the damned bill and write it off to the cost of sleep while hoping we never have to use the policy. We bought it as asset protection for each other. Paying for one in a nursing home would be hard enough on assets. Two would be horrendous.

A non-profit CCRC (Continuum of Care Retirement Community) can be a solution for those who can afford it. A CCRC can take you all the way through from independent living to hospice, if need be. But you have to pay to get in. If you go into independent living, the entry cost can depend on the size of your place, everything from very small on up. Some even have individual houses. There is a monthly fee also in independent living and sometimes meals can be included.

The CCRCs I know about are classified as non-profits and have endowments. They do not kick you out if you run out of money. But their actuaries have to let you in. (I don't know if all CCRCs are non-profits with endowments.)

I think some areas of the country have more CCRCs than others. There is one in Ft. Myers called Shell Point that my BIL looked at a few years ago. He liked it but did not go there. It might be worth looking into for some of you who want to stay in Florida. I don't know how Freedom Pointe in TV works.

You can look places up on medicare.gov and it will tell you if a place is a CCRC. If choosing one of those, starting with independent living seems to be the way to go.

Boomer

Freedom Pointe is the best place to go in The Villages, if you can afford it. You pay an entry fee, based on the size of the independent living condo, and a monthly fee. Then, you can move to assisted living or to the nursing home as needed. The other places are just rental apartments where you don't even get a lease. I have always considered long term care insurance to be a ripoff.

[Boomer]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Freedom Pointe is the best place to go in The Villages, if you can afford it. You pay an entry fee, based on the size of the independent living condo, and a monthly fee. Then, you can move to assisted living or to the nursing home as needed. The other places are just rental apartments where you don't even get a lease. I have always considered long term care insurance to be a ripoff.

That’s a wide brush you’re paintin’ there with…….

Rip off?

For you? Maybe. For us? Maybe. Maybe not. What we have paid into it over the past almost 20 years, even though it is a lot, would not cover even one year in a nice place. The policy we have also covers home care.

We decided to buy the policy after we saw what care in a nice facility could do to a couple’s assets. We also knew someone in memory care which I think must be the most expensive of all. Memory care can go on for a very long time. Like I said, we pay a lot for something we hope to never use, but if we do, it will make things easier. Caregiving by family members can become exhausting. I have seen that happen with friends and their parents and one friend with her spouse.

And spending down to Medicaid was not an option as we saw it. Therefore, buying a policy was the choice we made.

ymmv

Boomer

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Boomer

That’s a wide brush you’re paintin’ there with…….

Rip off?

For you? Maybe. For us? Maybe. Maybe not. What we have paid into it over the past almost 20 years, even though it is a lot, would not cover even one year in a nice place. The policy we have also covers home care.

We decided to buy the policy after we saw what care in a nice facility could do to a couple’s assets. We also knew someone in memory care which I think must be the most expensive of all. Memory care can go on for a very long time. Like I said, we pay a lot for something we hope to never use, but if we do, it will make things easier. Caregiving by family members can become exhausting. I have seen that happen with friends and their parents and one friend with her spouse.

And spending down to Medicaid was not an option as we saw it. Therefore, buying a policy was the choice we made.

ymmv

Boomer

I don't know all the details of long term care insurance, but, if you end up in a nursing home, you will get the same level of care as a Medicaid patient. With a gifting plan, you can qualify for Medicaid and still have your money held by family members. If long term care insurance provided a better level of care than Medicaid, it may be worth it, but I don't think it does. Another thing I don't like about long term care insurance is that the insurance company decides when you are eligible for benefits, not an independent third party. So, if they deny benefits, what can you do about it?

[LuvtheVillages]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

I don't know all the details of long term care insurance, but, if you end up in a nursing home, you will get the same level of care as a Medicaid patient. With a gifting plan, you can qualify for Medicaid and still have your money held by family members. If long term care insurance provided a better level of care than Medicaid, it may be worth it, but I don't think it does. Another thing I don't like about long term care insurance is that the insurance company decides when you are eligible for benefits, not an independent third party. So, if they deny benefits, what can you do about it?

You are assuming that all nursing homes provide the same level of care. That is not so.

Homes that have mostly Medicaid patients provide a minimum level of care. Constantly short handed. Call buttons go unanswered. Sometimes smelly.

More costly homes with few, if any, Medicaid patients will take better care of you. That is what the LTC insurance provides.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by LuvtheVillages

You are assuming that all nursing homes provide the same level of care. That is not so.

Homes that have mostly Medicaid patients provide a minimum level of care. Constantly short handed. Call buttons go unanswered. Sometimes smelly.

More costly homes with few, if any, Medicaid patients will take better care of you. That is what the LTC insurance provides.

Almost every nursing home I have visited had about a 90 percent Medicaid occupancy. I thought that LTC insurance benefits were based on a daily payment rate that was usually not enough to pay for most nursing homes. Are there any nursing homes located near The Villages that do not accept Medicaid patients, but still are reasonable enough to be covered by LTC insurance? Most people do not have LTC insurance and cannot afford to pay about $10K per month for a nursing home. Also, the average LTC insurance benefit is between $130 and $160 per day, which is nowhere close to covering any nursing home.

[Eg_cruz]

Originally Posted by ROCKETMAN

I’m sure some of you have these questions or have actually experienced these circumstances. I am talking about Medicare nursing facilities, not private. Private ones run about $9000.00 a month so for me that’s out of the equation. Been to seminars where they tell you you can protect your assets including sale of your house and just your s.security will cover cost. A lawyer quoted me $5000 to do the paperwork. My lawyer who has done my wills in a phone conversation asked me why I would I spend $5000 and have no idea if I would or my spouse would ever go in a nursing home. You can fill out the paper work the day before you would go in or even after you go in. My lawyer does not charge like the ones in fancy offices, has a small office in a tiny strip mall in Eustis. Used to be in summer field but closed that one.

This is done for a special needs trust which will cover both you and your spouse. Why now vs later, the sooner you do it the more the trust can protect when one goes into care and want to apply for Medicaid. If you have enough assets to paid for your care and are not worried about the cost then there’s your answer. Unfortunately LTC Insurance is dying. Have you looked at Life Insurance with. LTC rider, it’s not for everyone but there is always benefit to someone, but even those aren’t as good as they used to be.
You might want to just puts funds a side into guaranteed investment and just that pay for your care

[Grinchie]

Originally Posted by ROCKETMAN

I’m sure some of you have these questions or have actually experienced these circumstances. I am talking about Medicare nursing facilities, not private. Private ones run about $9000.00 a month so for me that’s out of the equation. Been to seminars where they tell you you can protect your assets including sale of your house and just your s.security will cover cost. A lawyer quoted me $5000 to do the paperwork. My lawyer who has done my wills in a phone conversation asked me why I would I spend $5000 and have no idea if I would or my spouse would ever go in a nursing home. You can fill out the paper work the day before you would go in or even after you go in. My lawyer does not charge like the ones in fancy offices, has a small office in a tiny strip mall in Eustis. Used to be in summer field but closed that one.

If you redo your RE deed & replace with a Lady Bird deed naming beneficiaries after the surviving spouse dies (if single, after your death), then ownership of the property will automatically transfer to your beneficiaries (without Probate, which normally triggers Medicaid reimbursement).
If you put POD (pay on death) on your bank accounts, that person(s) cannot access your money, but upon your death, all they have to do is present a certified copy of your death certificate & the bank will turn the money over to them.
Can also put beneficiaries or use Transfer on Death form for investments. (No Probate on these methods).
Qualified Income Trusts (Aka Miller Trusts) can be used if income is too high to qualify for Medicaid. Surplus income placed in Trust must be used to enhance the medical care of the person entering nursing home.
See a local attorney; these are cheap protections for Estates, especially if people qualify for Medicaid. All people may benefit from no Probate required & faster transfer of assets to beneficiaries & no Executor trying to resolve arguments amongst heirs.