Highlights of 2011
Alzheimer's Action Day • Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Many thanks to everyone who attending our presentation on the North Steps of the State Capitol in Lincoln, NE in honor of Alzheimer's Action Day. Special thanks go to Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy for speaking at the event and to Matt Schur for taking the wonderful photos of the Capitol shining bright in PURPLE light--ENJOY!!!
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Medicare Annual Enrollment Period Dates Change
The Annual Enrollment Period for the Medicare drug benefit and Medicare Advantage plans will be earlier this year. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to choose their 2012 coverage from October 15 – December 7. These changes will be for coverage beginning January 1, 2012.
Learn more HERE. Our page will be updated as more information becomes available.
Important Changes to Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans
The Affordable Care Act established a temporary high-risk insurance program for individuals who are unable to obtain private insurance because of a pre-existing condition. This program, called the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), went into effect last summer for individuals who are citizens or legal residents, have been uninsured for at least 6 months and unable to obtain insurance due to a pre-existing condition like Alzheimer’s disease.
Beginning July 1, 2011, two important changes were made to the program in the 21 states (AL, AZ, DE, FL, GA HI, ID, IN,KY, LA, MA, MN, MS, NE, NV, ND, SC, TN, TX,VA, WY) where PCIP is administered by the federal government. The other 29 states, and the District of Columbia, run their own PCIP.
First, the premiums for these federally run plans were reduced by as much as 40%, making the plans more affordable. Second, an applicant can submit a letter from a doctor stating that the applicant has a pre-existing qualifying condition within the last 12 months. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) developed a sample letter that doctors can use for their patients who are applying for insurance under PCIP.
The sample doctor’s letter, as well as a fact sheet about the PCIP, is posted HERE.
2011 report says as many as 37,000 Nebraskans and 69,000 Iowans
are living with Alzheimer’s disease According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s® 2011 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures.
Growing impact of Alzheimer’s on families:
• Alzheimer’s disease is heartbreaking experience for both the individual with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.
• The new report reveals there are more than 37,000 Nebraskans and 69,000 Iowans are living with Alzheimer’s shedding light on the growing impact of a disease that currently is the sixth-leading cause of death and the only cause of death among the top 10 causes in America without a way to prevent, cure or even slow its progression.
• There are an estimated 5.4 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, including 37,000 living in Nebraska and 69,000 in Iowa alone.
• Most people survive an average of four to eight years after a diagnosis, but many can live as long as 20 years with the disease. This prolonged duration often places increasingly intensive care demands on family members and friends who provide care.
• Most caregivers are family members who take on a tremendous financial, physical and emotional burden to help care for a loved one with Alzheimer’s or a related dementia.
“Alzheimer’s is a significant threat not only for the nation – but also for the people of Nebraska,” said Duane Gross, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association Midlands Chapter. “With a rapidly aging population at increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s and the number of caregivers growing each year, it will become increasingly important for states to be prepared with dementia-capable support services for people at all stages of the disease.”
Alzheimer’s impact on states: • Medicaid covers nursing home care and other long-term care services in the community for individuals who can no longer afford to pay for long-term care expenses. ensuring access to Medicaid for those who need it must remain a priority for states as they deal with the escalating Alzheimer crisis.
• Average per-person Medicaid payments for beneficiaries aged 65 and older with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are nine times higher than Medicaid payments for those without the disease while Medicaid costs are $37 billion today they will climb almost 400 percent by 2050.
• At a time when a number of states are facing tremendous budget challenges, the growing Alzheimer’s population will strain state budgets further.
• Alzheimer’s has profound implications for future state budgets, and states must prepare now to address the multiple and complex challenges that Alzheimer’s poses to individuals, families and state governments, particularly Medicaid.
• While only 4 percent of the general population will be admitted to a nursing home by age 80, for people with Alzheimer’s, 75 percent will admitted to a nursing home, posing significant economic challenges to state Medicaid budgets.
Importance of early detection: • Early diagnosis allows affected people, relatives and their caregivers to plan for the future, obtain medical care to manage symptoms and optimize function, and assists Alzheimer’s families in taking steps to reduce the risk of accidents requiring further medical care.
• The new report explores the issue of early detection and outlines the various benefits it provides families, including access to valuable support services and resources and also helping to reduce anxiety among caregivers.
• Delays in diagnosis mean that individuals are not getting treatment in the earlier stages of the disease when they are most effective. They also miss the opportunity to make legal, financial and care plans.
Alzheimer’s Association’s facts and figures:
The Alzheimer’s association’s facts and figures report is a comprehensive compilation of national statistics and information on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The report conveys the impact of Alzheimer’s on individuals, families, government, and the nation’s healthcare system. since its 2007 inaugural release, the report has become the most cited source covering the broad spectrum of Alzheimer issues. The Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures report is an official publication of the Alzheimer’s Association®.
The full text of the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2011 Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures can be viewed here.
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