By the way...

www.ltc-consultant.com has a new design, and I think it looks pretty cool. I know the guy who did it, and he spent a lot of time upgrading to CSS-P so that the site will be available to lots of different types of devices. You should tell him what you think of it.

Will AIG's Legal Problems Affect Their Long Term Care Product?

I just finished reading an article about AIG and collusion allegations by the New York Department of Justice. AIG’s Chairman, Hank Greenberg, is defending the business practices.

As a businessman, I understand that a business must do what it can to increase profits. I also know that the executives of public companies are under extreme pressure to constantly drive up the share prices of their

Medicare Recipients Who Have Heart Disease Should Think Twice

Is it safe to assume that if you have private insurance, you are better off than someone who has Medicare? According to researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, having extra private insurance apparently increases you chances of undergoing successful surgery and surviving it.

Patients who were hospitalized for a heart attack and also had some form of private insurance were more

Talking To The Birds

When seniors move into long term care facilities, they are forced to give up their pets. Occasionally, some long-term care facilities will offer weekly or monthly access to pets. Pets are said to decrease stress levels, create therapeutic bonds, and create an overall sense of happiness for residents.

One long term care facility offers parakeets as an alternative to the no-pets policy. Parakeets

Senior Use Internet For Healthcare Research

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently published a report stating that 66% of over 65 internet surfers researched medical or health related information on the Web.

The Pew study reports that the number of seniors active on the Internet has increased by more than 25% over the past four years. It also stated that 53% of those over 65 Internet users visited sites geared towards support

Physically Active Seniors Can Live Independently

Exercise keeps the body and mind healthy. But here is another incentive for older Americans to work out; on average, active people not only live longer but they also tend to stay independent longer.

According to a recent study, which looked at 229 women with an average age of 74, women who were most physically active were likely to be living independently 14 years later. That means that they

Targeted And Proactive Disease Management

The antivirus software in my computer prevents it from getting invaded by software viruses that can delete files and make my machine useless. The software updates itself periodically and lets me know if my computer needs to be protected against new viruses.

Very effective!

Now let’s compare that to our health care system.

The only way I might get information about a new and potentially

First Bipartisan Solution To Resolve Gridlock In Congress

We all know about the benefits of physical activity for the body, but a recent study at the University of Illinois found that exercise can be as beneficial for the mind.

Yep, according to this research, adults between the ages of 58 and 78 who added physical activity to their weekly routine, even as simple as a brisk walk, saw improvements in how their brains functioned.

How about that?

If

Keeping New Years Resolutions

Keeping my New Years resolutions has always been difficult, but what if Congress had to do the things I set out to accomplish this year. Could they do better?

Had I given my list to them and I were checking on how things are going, this is what I think they would say:

Eat better – the start of this one should be delayed until after the Pro-bowl (mid February). Really, We would be destined for

Unimaginable Scenarios Can And Do Become True

Dealing with friends lately, I have noticed that many of us put more emphasis on where to go out to eat than on our own health care. Many people plan dinner outings or weekend trips much more carefully than how they will deal with the inevitable need for long term health care.

Unfortunately, leaving those plans for later in life puts us in undesirable situations that costs us too much. I know

Profiting from Generous Tax Subsidies

It’s tax season again, which means that millions of Americans (like you and me) will spend a few stressful days trying to figure out why the IRS is taking so much from us, while large discounts on taxes are given to big corporations.

Actually, this time of year shouldn’t stress us. It should infuriate us.

It’s a well known fact that the bigger a business is, the bigger the tax concessions. But

We Thought You Had the “Capabilities” to Lead

This weekend president Bush declared on national television that the reason to take the country to war with Iraq was based on his feeling that Saddam Husain had the “capabilities” to develop weapons of mass destruction.

Mr. President, we thought you had the “capabilities” to lead and solve many of the problems that plague this country. Unfortunately, much like you, we realize too late that we

Obsessing on Janet Jackson’s Breast

There are so many worthwhile projects for the federal government, including studying how to provide medical services to the needy and our senior citizens. Instead, funds and resources are being misappropriated by agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to appease a few religious conservatives in determining why Janet Jackson’s breast was exposed on national television during the

Why is the IRS Taking So Much from Us?

It’s tax season again, which means that millions of Americans (like you and me) will spend a few stressful days trying to figure out why the IRS is taking so much from us, while large discounts on taxes are given to big corporations.

Actually, this time of year shouldn’t stress us. It should infuriate us.

It’s a well known fact that the bigger a business is, the bigger the tax concessions. But

Lifestyle Affects Our Pocketbooks

It seems that every time you look, someone is increasing the tab of providing medical and long term health care services to Americans. Here is another bill to add to the cost of medical care-- obesity.

It’s a well-known fact that, as a society, we have become heavier and less healthy than ever. You can see it when walking around in the mall or when you step out of the office during your lunch

Scientific Research is Important but Not in Mars.

$820 million to study rocks and take pictures of a deserted place that (we know) cannot sustain life. That’s what the Rover Mission to Mars is costing American tax payers. I can think of better ways to spend 820 million of our tax dollars.

Scientific research is important but not in Mars. There are millions of lives here that could benefit from the creation of new drugs, new ways to grow food,

The State of the Campaign Address

President Bush managed to deliver a State of the Union address that (instead of the constitutional mandated assessment of the country’s status) included a lecture on the state of his presidential campaign and lacked the messages that a country with a number of domestic problems needs.

Even with the coaching of his staff, Mr. Bush delivered a pointless pep talk full of campaign propaganda

Senior Citizens have Suffered Twice as Much

Our golden years can offer an opportunity to do things we never had a chance to do, like travel, spend time with loved ones, or work on personal projects. There is no other time in life when independence is more copious for most of us. However, keeping that independence has become a major struggle for many older Americans.

Health care, specifically the cost of care for assisted living and

Family Neglect of Our Elders

Stories in the media about neglect and abuse of nursing home patients raise questions about a portion of the long term care industry we are becoming more and more dependent on. But just as alarming is family neglect of our elders.

A recent study by the Department of Health and Human Services found that a staggering 97% of nursing homes in the United States do not have enough employees to care

Values and Principles can Outlast Alzheimer's Disease

It is tragic to lose a family member to due to a progressive disease like Alzheimer's disease, but I would argue that it is just as sad to lose the memories and knowledge of a loved one.

Alzheimer's disease is a debilitating sickness that strikes thousands of Americans yearly. Systematically, the disease attacks vital parts of the brain and makes it increasingly harder for a person to recall

Are Medical and Long Term Care Insurance a Right?

One of the reasons why we fund our system of government is to ensure that basic services are provided to the general population. Things like roads, education and ways to promote health are necessary to maintain a working society. Yet, when it comes to providing access to some of these services, our government agencies and programs fail us.

Considering the problem of health care indigents from a

It’s Time for Universal Health Care

According to research done by AARP, between 1998 and 2001 many states modestly relaxed rules to give health care coverage to more low-income, blind, and disabled people. This seems to have coincided with the peak of the tech era “bubble” and the overflowing tax coffers of many state and local governments. Unfortunately, this commitment to the well-being of our public was short lived.

Right now,

Long term care insurance plans and Medicare

Long term care is quickly becoming a type of coverage that is absolutely necessary for older Americans because social programs, such as Medicare, do not cover essential long term care benefits that can bankrupt the average individual.

Ironically, insurance companies found a niche in the mid 1960s for a new insurance product when the U.S. government tried to create a system to care for

Election Year Health Care

It is an election year and soon most of us will be bombarded with a number of messages from presidential candidates. Regrettably, not all of the issues that will be debated this year will become a part of the elected candidate’s agenda once that person gets into office. For example, revamping our dilapidated health care system probably will not get nearly as much consideration even though this