December 2010 Newsletter

Issue #8 The Monarch News December 2010

________________________________________________________________________

In This Issue

Affordable Care Act 2010

Elder Abuse Advocacy

Caregiver of the Month

_______________________________________________________________________

Merry Christmas!

from your "Helping Hand's" at

Monarch Garden Inc.

_____________________________________________________________________

Affordable Care Act of 2010

AFFORDABLE CARE ACT OF 2010

The new healthcare reform law-Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 called the

ACA is a complex group of changes that will effect different age groups of people. These changes

begin at various times from 2010 to 2020. Here are a few changes that will effect older adults, age

65 and over. As these laws are put into place, some information may become outdated, so stay

current by viewing www.healthcare.gov or www.michigan.gov/ofir.

1 All traditional Medicare benefits are still covered under the ACA and continue

to be guaranteed. Starts 2011

2 The ACA does not cut Medicare payments to doctors (see #8). The ACA

offers incentives for doctors and nurse-practitioners to go into Primary

Care, increasing the Primary Care workforce. Starts 2011

3 Medicare and private health insurance plans for Seniors will have to cover

at no cost to the patient a wide range of preventive care (annual exam, immunizations

and screening tests, such as mammograms and cholesterol tests). Starts 2011

4 The Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit has a "donut hole" between

basic coverage and high-use coverage. Seniors in the "donut hole" have to

pay full costs. This year, they will get a rebate of $250 to help cover their

costs. 2010

5 The "donut hole" will gradually be closed over the next nine years, so that

Medicare enrollees will pay no more than 25% of all prescription drug

costs. 2011 to 2019

6 Almost 9 million "dual-eligibles" - people who qualify for both Medicaid

and Medicare - will receive care coordination to make their healthcare

more effective and efficient. Starts 2010

7 To help cover all seniors, the ACA requires more high-income seniors

(annual income of $85,000 or more for individuals and $170,000 or more

for couples) to pay increased Medicare premiums 2010 to 2019

8 Private insurers offering Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will no longer be

paid extra by Medicare to cover additional services (dental, vision, free

health club memberships). Some of the MA plans may lower their costs by

reducing the extra services, raising the copays, or reducing payments to

doctors. Starts 2011

- Courtesy of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners

_____________________________________________________________________

Elder Abuse ADVOCACY ALERT!

ONLY ONE MONTH LEFT FOR ACTION ON ELDER ABUSE BILLS!

Four years ago, a Task Force of experts on aging released a set of recommendations on abuse, neglect and exploitation of our elders. Legislation has been introduced in the intervening years to implement the recommendations, if action isn't taken soon, the bills will die and have to be reintroduced next year.

Five bills have passed to the House of Representatives and are sitting in Senate Committees waiting for action, help us stand up to protect our Aging Americans!

House Bill 5011 would allow a third party to file a complaint of elder abuse; it's in the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Wayne Kuipers.

House Bill 5191 would allow nursing home staff to report abuse directly to the Department of Community Health; it's in the Senate Families and Human Services Committee, chaired by Sen. Mark Jansen.

House Bill 5193 would expand the legal definition of abuse to include financial exploitation; it's in the Senate Senior Citizens & Veterans Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Jason Allen.

House Bill 5195 would prohibit an abuser from inheriting his/her victim's assets; it's also in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 5210 would require a protocol be followed to ensure thorough abuse investigations; it's also in the Senate Senior Citizens & Veterans Affairs Committee.

DID YOU KNOW?

An estimated 73,000 older Michiganians are victims of elder abuse, according to the 2006 Elder Abuse Task Force report.

Michigan's high rate of unemployment is fueling the financial exploitation of the elderly.

These bills are basic, common sense approaches to uncovering this hidden problem and obtaining justice for the victims.

HOW TO HELP! Contact these Senate Committee Chairmen and ask them to take action on the elder abuse bills in their committee:

Sen. Wayne Kuipers (877) 584-7377 senkuipers@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Mark Jansen (866) 305-2128 senmjansen@senate.michigan.gov

Sen. Jason Allen (866) 525-5637 senjallen@senate.michigan.gov

Courtesy of the AAA1B - www.aaa1b.com

___________________________________________________________________

Caregiver of the Month

Nynier

Our Caregiver of the month is Nynier!

Congratulations Nynier, keep up the wonderful work!

PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND IN YOUR SUPERIOR SERVICE QUESTIONNAIRES!