According to the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there were 2,797,589 people in New York who were aged 65 and over in 2016 which is 14.6% of the state’s population. Compare that number to 2015, when 2,724,135 seniors lived in New York State (14.3% of the population), and 2014 (2,655,913 people ages 65 and over, 14.0% of the population). Continue reading “Expect to Pay More for Home Health and Assisted Living Costs”
Category: Medicaid
Tanya Hobson Williams’ New York Medicaid Blog Articles
How Joint Accounts and Gifting Affect Medicaid Eligibility
As individuals begin to age, long-term care services and how to finance them become major concerns. Many turn to Medicaid to pay for their long-term care needs. Medicaid is a joint Federal and State funded program that provides medical insurance and long-term care payments on behalf of middle- to low-income individuals, including those who are elderly and disabled. However, since Medicaid eligibility is determined by the combined value of income and assets, gifting money and joint accounts may impede a person’s ability to secure Medicaid benefits.
Continue reading “How Joint Accounts and Gifting Affect Medicaid Eligibility”
What is Medicaid Fraud?
There are several types of Medicaid fraud, such as those who receive Medicaid fraudulently. Medicaid recipient fraud may include an applicant falsifying information on the application and certification failure to disclose information about income and assets owned, and the failure to disclose income earned by a spouse or other household member. Other activities that can be deemed as fraud are loaning another person their Medicaid identification card, changing or creating a falsified order or prescription, using more than one Medicaid identification card, deliberately receiving excess, duplicative or conflicting medical service and/or supplies, and selling Medicaid-provided supplies to others.
Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise
A recent examination of federal data conducted by USA Today has recently revealed that the number of U.S. senior citizens receiving narcotic painkillers and anti-anxiety medications under Medicare’s prescription drug program is sharply rising. Recreational drug use can still be classified under medication-related problems (MRPs). Caregivers can play a key role in identifying and managing substance abuse issues, however, they may also be held liable if they fail to notice the signs of substance abuse.
According to the data collected between, 2007-2012, the number of senior patients receiving Medicare prescriptions for opioid-based pain medications has increased by more than 30 percent to upward of 8.5 million beneficiaries.
Specifically, the use of the most commonly abused painkillers, like hydrocodone and oxycodone, rose by more than 50 percent. The data also showed a significant increase of the personal supply of each narcotic provided to the average recipient rose about 15 percent over approximately three months. Continue reading “Medicare Prescription Drug Abuse on the Rise”
Medicaid Myths
We all expect and hope to have long and healthy lives. However, the truth is, no one lives forever and all too often health issues and accidents occur, leaving many individuals unprepared and in trouble. But there is something you can do to ensure you are never put in this position: PLAN! By planning ahead, you are able to answer the tough questions and make arrangements while you are in good health and mind.
The harsh truth is that 7 out of 10 people over the age of 65 will require expensive long-term care at some point. Would you be able to foot the bill for an extended stay at a nursing home, assisted living facility or at-home care for you or your spouse? Even if you could, would you prefer to pass your savings and other assets to your loved ones rather than have those assets depleted by costly long term care expenses? To protect your lifestyle and assets, Medicaid Planning is necessary.
NYS Breaks Record in Medicaid Fraud Recoveries
The New York Office of the Medicaid Inspector General (OMIG), reports that in 2013, it recovered what seems to be the highest ever recovery amount regarding Medicaid fraud in the history of the agency. Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement early this February, reporting a sense of pride in New York and explaining the figures as an illustration of how New York State is “truly leading the nation in fighting fraud and protecting taxpayer dollars.” The exact figures calculated reached $1.7 billion over the past three years, and a record of $851 million in 2013 alone.
Continue reading “NYS Breaks Record in Medicaid Fraud Recoveries”
Medicare Wants the Power to Ban Certain Doctors
While the main focus of Medicare has historically been to provide affordable and accessible medications to seniors, its focus has recently changed. Early this January, The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposed rule that would bring significant changes to the federal agencies.
The most notable change offered by the proposal is the agency’s new authority to kick out physicians and other providers who engage in abusive prescribing. It could also take such action if providers’ licenses have been suspended or revoked by state regulators or if they were restricted from prescribing painkillers and other controlled substances.
Additionally, the agency will tighten a loophole that has allowed doctors to prescribe to patients in the drug program (known as Part D) even when they were not officially enrolled with Medicare. Under the new rules, doctors and other providers must formally enroll if they want to write prescriptions to the 36 million people in Part D. This requires them to verify their credentials and disclose professional discipline and criminal history. Continue reading “Medicare Wants the Power to Ban Certain Doctors”
New York City Settles Allegations of False Medicaid Claims
The case of Ohlmeyer ex rel. United States of America v. City of New York, a whistleblower action brought by the federal government against the city of New York has been settled. The 2012 complaint accused the city’s education department of submitting false claims to Medicaid for counseling services to special education students, and as of January 2014, New York City has agreed to pay $1.37 million in an official settlement.
The complaint, charged that New York City’s Department of Education (DOE) knowingly billed Medicaid for psychological counseling services for individual special education students who did not receive two monthly counseling session, the minimum number required for payment, between 2001 to 2004.
Continue reading “New York City Settles Allegations of False Medicaid Claims”
Medicaid Reportedly Loses Over 1.5 Million Dollars from Russian Diplomat Scheme
Dozens of current and former Russian Diplomats and their spouses have been accused of committing Medicaid fraud in a criminal complaint filed in December 2013. The diplomats, which include employees of Russia’s consulate, employees of its mission to the U.N., and trade representatives, were among 49 individuals charged in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Manhattan. Though no arrests were made and only 11 of the diplomats and their spouses remained in the United States, the complaint said Medicaid, a health care program for the poor and disabled, lost about $1.5 million in the scheme since 2004.
The complaint alleges that the defendants submitted fraudulent applications for medical benefits for pregnancies, child births and care for young children. Federal prosecutors said the diplomats qualified for Medicaid benefits by underreporting their income, often by tens of thousands of dollars, yet were enjoying countless luxury amenities while in the United States.
In court papers, FBI agent Jeremy Robertson described an 18-month investigation, saying investigators had discovered a pattern of falsified applications. He said 58 of the 63 births attributed to Russian diplomats and their spouses in New York City between 2004 and 2013 were funded through Medicaid, which is largely federally funded but also includes money from state and local governments.
Robertson wrote that the diplomats and their spouses generally underreported household income to an amount below the applicable Medicaid eligibility level, and some of them lied about the citizenship status of their children to obtain continuing health coverage for them.
Meanwhile, the diplomats and their spouses spent tens of thousands of dollars on vacations, expensive jewelry and designer clothing at luxury retail stores including Bloomingdale’s, Tiffany & Co., Jimmy Choo, Swarovski and others, the court papers said. The complaint said they also spent tens of thousands of dollars on electronic merchandise at Apple Inc., bought concert tickets, robotic cleaning devices and chartered helicopters.
Charges in the criminal complaint included conspiracy to commit health care fraud, conspiracy to steal government funds and make false statements relating to health care matters.
“Being a diplomat does not give you the right to commit health care fraud,” said George Venizelos, head of the FBI’s New York office, he added, “The defendants selfishly took advantage of a health care system designed to help the unfortunate and should be punished.”
Common penalties for Medicaid fraud include monetary fines, disqualification, garnishment of wages, and even criminal prosecutions. If you or a loved one have been charged with Medicaid fraud, the consequences you may face can be severe. As a result, you should immediately contact an experienced Medicaid attorney to receive the representation you deserve.
New Medicare Requirements to Cover More Mental Health Treatment
For decades, older Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and other conditions have received unequal coverage and treatment. Medicare, a program that provides health insurance for individuals over 65, has been paying a smaller share of the bill for therapy from psychiatrists, psychologists or clinical social workers than it does for medical services. But the disparate coverage may be a thing of the past sooner rather than later, as a result of the newest Health Laws.
As of Jan. 1, Medicare is required to pay the same amount for mental health care treatment as it does for most medical services. Although there have been steps forward before, this most certainly is the closest step taken by the government to close the gap in this vital program.
Under the 2008 Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, Medicare was required to cover a larger portion of the cost of outpatient mental health services which brought the requirements to about 50% of the cost of such treatment, and increased even further to 65% in 2013. But now, with the newest regulations, Medicare is required to pay 80% of the cost of mental health services, bringing coverage for those treatments in line with most medical services.
Andrea Callow, a policy lawyer at the Center for Medicare Advocacy, said, “Hopefully, older adults who previously were unable to afford to see a therapist will now be more likely to do so.”
Although the new provisions are deemed positive by many, there are still many elements that are considered lacking. Parity under Medicare remains incomplete, and hurdles still stand in the way of older adults receiving services. A 190-day lifetime limit on inpatient services at psychiatric hospitals is the most notable example. There is no similar cap on any other inpatient medical services provided through Medicare.
Additionally, critics argue that the new requirements do little to address an arguable shortage of mental health professionals who are trained to work with elderly U.S. residents who also accept Medicare insurance plans. Gary Kennedy, director of the division of geriatric psychiatry at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, said, “There are a lot of mental health providers out there, but very few have training to work with older adults.” “Providers have little incentive to treat elderly patients because Medicare reimbursement rates are low compared with private insurers.”
