Articles

Medicare Coverage - Skilled Nursing Facility Care

Medicare provides insurance coverage for care provided in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), typically nursing homes and acute hospitals with skilled nursing beds.

Housing - Federal Public Housing Programs - § 231 Housing Mortgage Insurance For The Elderly

The § 231 program provides low-interest, fixed-rate mortgage loans to housing developers for either construction or rehabilitation of rental units occupied by the elderly or the handicapped.

Secondary Payer Program

There are times when a person's health services may be covered both by Medicare and by another type of insurance, such as group health insurance, workers' compensation, or automobile insurance. In these cases, Medicare provides only secondary coverage, meaning that the other insurance is primarily liable on the claim.

Asset Management - Viatical and Senior Settlements

In a viatical or senior settlement, a person who owns a life insurance policy sells the policy for a lump sum payment, usually a percentage of the policy's face value, to a buyer. The buyer of the policy then becomes the beneficiary, pays the premiums, and receives the full amount of the insurance when the original owner dies. Viatical settlements can be risky for both the sellers and the buyers and should be evaluated carefully.

QUALIFYING FOR NURSING HOME MEDICAID BENEFITS

Medicaid pays most of the costs of nursing home care for needy persons. Eligibility to receive Medicaid benefits is based on federal and state guidelines governing the applicant's income and available resources.