Hospitals to Receive Bonus for Quality

Written By: Attorney Jeffrey A. Marshall, CELA*

  On July 10^th Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced a creative new plan to pay Medicare bonuses to Hospitals that best meet quality standards. The 3-year demonstration project initially involves Premier Inc., a nationwide organization that tracks data and serves as purchasing agent for many not-for-profit hospitals.  Premier will track data from participating hospitals; then the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will increase the Medicare payment made to hospitals that appear to provide the highest quality care.

Participating hospitals will be scored on quality measures related to heart attacks, heart failure, pneumonia, hip replacements, knee replacements, and coronary artery bypass surgery.  Hospitals will be scored on the quality measures related to each condition and those hospitals in the top 10 percent for a given condition will be given a 2 percent bonus on their Medicare payments. Hospitals in the second 10 percent will be given a 1 percent bonus. Hospitals in the remainder of the top 50 percent will be given recognition for their quality but no bonus.

The plan is part of a continuing effort by the Federal Government to improve the quality of care received by patients by fostering competition among health care providers on the basis of quality. Information comparing the performance of all hospitals in the demonstration project will be posted on the CMS website and made available to health care professionals and consumers.  In a similar vein, CMS has recently begun posting quality of care information on Nursing Facilities and Home Health providers on its website at www.medicare.gov.  

Further information about the demonstration project is available on the Premier, Inc. website at http://my.premierinc.com and on the US Department of Health & Human Services website at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2003pres/20030710.html. 

[Coincidently, Premier has recently come under investigation by federal and state authorities for potential antitrust and other violations.  According to the New York Times, Thomas Scully, head of CMS, stated that Premier had "gotten into trouble for having oligopoly purchasing power and using it too aggressively."  Mr. Scully added that Premier's quality of care data collection system was "totally separate" from the activities that are being investigated.  (New York Times, July 11, 2003 )]. 

PA Property Tax or Rent Rebate Program Application Deadline Extended

Written By: Karen L. Griswold , Estate Planning Paralegal

  The Pennsylvania Property Tax or Rent Rebate Program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and is based on the property taxes or rent paid during the previous calendar year.  Qualified claimants can receive up to $500 per year for the amount they paid in property taxes or rent.  On June 24, 2003 , the Secretary of Revenue extended the application deadline from June 30, 2003 to December 31, 2003 .  To apply for either the Property Tax or Rent Rebate Program, claimants need to file a PA-1000. 

Program eligibility guidelines include households with claimants or spouses 65 years of age or older, widows or widowers 50 years of age or older, and the permanently disabled 18 years of age or older.  Annual household eligibility income must not exceed $15,000.  Act 30-1999 expanded the program by excluding 50 percent of Social Security payments and 50 percent of Railroad Retirement benefit payments from eligibility income.  More detailed eligibility requirements as well as access to downloadable forms and publications are located on the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue's website at  http://www.revenue.state.pa.us/revenue/taxonomy/taxonomy.asp?DLN=690 .  Forms can also be ordered from the Forms Ordering Message Center at 1-800-362-2050 or by calling the Taxpayer Service and Information Center at 1-888-222-9190.

Note that rebate checks from approved claims are mailed on or after July 1, 2003 . 

The Man Who Mistook His Will for An Estate Plan

Written By: Attorney Jeffrey A. Marshall , CELA*

  A recent best selling book was titled "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat."  Hopefully, not many of us will end up making that mistake.  But many people make a less silly, but quite costly mistake.  You don't want to end up being remembered by your family as the "Man who Mistook his Will for an Estate Plan."   

Estate planning is planning for the disposition of your property upon your death.  It involves putting the right legal tools in place so that after your death the right people receive the right inheritance, in the right amounts, at the right times, with a minimum of family discord and stress.    

Many people make a fundamental mistake in putting together their estate plans.  They think that their estate planning is complete if they have a Will.  They fail to appreciate that their Wills may have very little impact on who gets what after they are gone.  For many of us, most of our assets will pass to our heirs based upon how those assets are owned and how beneficiary forms have been set up.   No matter what your Will says, your retirement accounts, annuities, life insurance policies, and possibly some of your mutual funds and bank accounts will pass according to their beneficiary designations, not your Will.  Assets that are owned jointly with another person may pass by right of survivorship.  Your Will may be irrelevant. 

To create an estate plan that meets your goals, you need to make certain that your assets are properly titled and your beneficiary designations are correct.  Then you need to have your lawyer draft a Will that fits in with the rest of your plan.  Your estate plan is like a jigsaw puzzle.  Everything needs to fit together if your plan is to meet your goals.    If any parts of the puzzle are missing, your family will end up with an ugly picture. 

  "Using Medicaid to Pay for Home and Nursing Facility Care"

  Below you will find a list of some of seminars that we will be presenting throughout Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania over the next few months. Lifetime planning and problems related to long term care are increasingly important issues for seniors. Four out of every ten people reaching age 65 will spend some time in a nursing home, and many more will require home care and assistance with daily living.

The Elder Law Firm of Marshall, Parker & Associates' is known throughout Pennsylvania for the expert help we provide seniors who are faced with long term care needs. Often families struggle to care for their loved one at home for as long as possible. We help these care-givers find ways to get the financial help they need so that the highest quality care can be provided in the most appropriate setting (at-home, assisted living, or nursing facility). 

If nursing home placement becomes necessary, we work with the facility to help make the transition go as smoothly as possible. We make certain that the nursing facility gets paid in a timely manner while teaching the family how they can pay nursing home costs without losing their homes or going broke.

Join us for one of these free seminars and learn what you need to know about how to get the help you need and protect your family's financial security when your spouse or parent is faced with a long term illness.               

Each seminar is FREE and open to seniors, their families, elder care professionals, and anyone else who needs to learn more about this complex subject.  Each seminar lasts about 1 ½ hours, including a "Question & Answer" Session.  

- Wilkes-Barre :  Saturday, August 2^nd at 10:00 AM at the Woodlands

-Lewisburg:  Thursday, August 14^th at 6:30 PM at the Evan Community Health Center , Staples Plaza

- Scranton : Thursday, August 28^th at 6:30 PM at the Radisson, Lackawanna Station

Reservations are suggested, but not required.  SIGN UP ONLINE or call 1-800-401-4552 for more information or to reserve your spot for one of these free seminars!

Did you know. past issues of the Elder Care Law Alert are available on our website at:

www.paelderlaw.com/news.html

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*Attorney Marshall is certified as an Elder Law Attorney by the National Elder Law Foundation under authorization from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court

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