Is Wisconsins Aurora Posturing For The Coming Health Insurance Exchanges

Is the corn in Wisconsin starting to pop?  As of July 2012 Aurora is collaborating with Aetna to enhance their ability to better serve the small and mid size business market.  An updated model of care delivery that will position nicely in the coming health insurance exchanges.

Aurora is an integrated (managed care) health provider serving Eastern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.  Aurora gives an address of 750 W. Virginia Street, Milwaukee, WI 53234.  Aurora is an accountable care (updated model of managed care) organization in Milwaukee. 

Accountable care organizations were established with National Health Care Reform as a type of payment and delivery model update that attaches provider reimbursement to quality of care and final cost reduction for a specific group of participants. 

Aetna is a highly respected health insurance company who gives an address of 151 Farmington Ave, Hartford, CT 06156.  Aetna will help with plan structure that adheres to regulatory guidelines while maintaining revenue flow.  The marketed health insurance product will give participants access to the clinics, hospitals, and skilled nursing facilities managed by the Aurora network.

The focus of the development of this health care insurance product is to offer small and mid size Wisconsin employers a service that will reduce their health care costs.  Cost savings will be specific to each employers business.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-crisis intervention with transitional counseling
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicorosft.com We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Valuing home and human life.  Services are tax deductible. 

Bapineuzumab Does Poorly Study 302 Phase III

Pfizer with Johnson and Johnson report Bapineuzumab has performed poorly in study 302 phase III trial of intravenous delivery for individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease who carry the Apo E4.  Apo E4 (Apolipoprotein E Epsilon 4 Genotype) is a linked genetic risk factor for late onset Alzheimers disease.

Bapineuzumab is an antibody focused on removing amyloid beta that is believed to assemble unwanted plaques in the human brain. Pfizer with Johnson and Johnson hoped to market bapineuzumab as a therapy for reducing the symptoms of Alzhiemer's disease. 

Individuals participating in the study did not demonstrate the changes in cognition and functional status needed to fair well on the measures selected.  Community members will not be able to hang their hat on bapineuzumab as an appropriate therapy for controlling the symptoms of Alzheimers disease.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing and help with ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-crisis intervention and transitional counseling
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicorosfot.com We accept long term care insurance.  Valuing home and human life.  Services are tax deductible.

Oxidation Tied In With An Aging Body?

Some researchers will see aging as the break down of cells.  Systems that make up the physical body have a need for oxygen.  The blood (made up of cells) carries oxygen from the lungs to nourish the tissues of the body.  This oxidizing process can result in the distribution of changed molecules called free radicals. 

Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons, looking for a chemical reaction.  Cells of the body can use free radicals for both healthful and non healthful results.  The immune system can use free radicals (healthful) to fight off infection.  On the nonhealthful side is when oxidized bad or LDL cholesterol sticks to an artery wall clogging blood flow. 

Oxidative stress is when free radical levels have functioned to surpass the bodies antioxidant defenses.  This allows cell (aging) damage to occur.  The remedy seems to be the use of antioxidants, which can decrease the cells chemical reactive participation with free radicals.

Antioxidants are foods like blueberry, cranberry, red bean, kidney bean, russet potato and more.  Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals by donating one of their electrons, this halts the free radical electron stealing process.  Less free radicals available for chemical reactions.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-crisis intervention with transitional counseling
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-downsizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working. Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We accept long term care insurance.  Valuing home and human life.  Services are tax deductible.

Methylation Something 2 Do With Human Body Aging?

Does methylation present a significant link to the way a human body ages?  Methylation is an identified process that involves protein production from DNA and communicates with genes to control the varied protein in the human body.  Methyl (methylation) groups adhere to DNA and participate in the expression of the gene.

Methylation is coding that can involve some damage which is connected to ongoing changes in the way cells, systems and organs operate in the body. As humans age, DNA obtained from blood will indicate fewer places methyl groups have attached.  This means older people are less densely methylated. 

Research is working to capture a means to benefit from this corelation between advanced age and decreased methylation.  This is still quite complex, and continuing to evolve.  DNA methylation does not manifest simple, straight forward changes with age, area of body, and category of cell.  Patterns and measurements do not confirm clear concise results.

Simply, does the decrease in methylation present itself due to the extended participation in a process that serves and aging body.  Is this decreased methylation an adaptation to the advanced age.  Or is the decreased methylation part of the cause for the aging of the body.  Would an adjustment to the methylation extend human life. 

Home Care Path is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-crisis intervention and help for memory loss
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-downsizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Valuing home and human life.  Services are tax deductible.

Telomere Reduction Making The Human Body Age?

The end of the cellular chromosome is cased by structures called telomeres.  Telomere structures stall the disassembling of genes near the ends of the chromosomes by helping chromosome ends to shorten , which is a normal part of the chromosome replication process.  With each cell division, telomeres reduce in length, losing the most distal end of the lagging strand.

Dr. Leonard Hayflick identified the way shortening telomeres , will limit the number of times a normal cell population can devide.  The reduction in the length of the telomeres limits the cells to a fixed number of divisions.  Consumed telomeres indicates a halt to cell division and replication.  Further research suggests that this is responsible for aging on the cellular level which translates to a limit on human life span.

Researchers are working to develop a medication or gene therapy that would lengthen the telomeres in selected cells.  This would support continued cell division and replication, promoting a longer life for the body.  Valuing the connection between health, aging and longevity.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Services are tax deductible.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com  Valuing home and human life.
 

Elisabeth Kubler Ross Control and Reducing Home Contents

Part of the concept of being good stewards of stuff is understanding the flow of objects through one's life.  The Kubler Ross model is helpful in identifying the thought relationships we can carry in our mind with the objects that flow through our lives.

Elisabeth Kubler Ross was a Swiss American Psychiatrist, respected researcher in near death studies, and a book author.  Born 7/8/1926 and deceased 8/24/2004, a professional with the University of Chicago.  Known for the Kubler Ross Model she understood greif was not just a part of the human to human relationship.  Persons have significant realtionships with material things.

Underlying all the change and flow that we as humans call life is the concept of control.  Persons inherently act in ways that seem to maintain a perception of control.  This is easily recognized by the device called the perceptive lag.  The perceptive lag involves 4 steps that are taken prior to an individual having knowledge of an experience. 

                                                                                           
 (PAST)  actual physical occurance-  senses perceive-  mind comprehends-
      person has some knowing (NOW)

As humans we have been taught to believe that the time you know of something is the time of actual occurance and as shown above the two are not the same.   By the time you know about something it has typically occurred due to the connection between senses and mind.  One can see that taking action at the point of knowing will not change what has already occurred in a perceived experience.

Elisabeth Kubler Ross listed the five stages of greif one can experience with a perceived sense of loss.  Understand that people have been known to greive the loss of a body wart, an employment situation, a house location, and the contents of a residence.

1. Denial-  I am fine, doesn't bother me.
2. Anger- Why me, someone is to blame for this.
3. Bargaining- I can be better, I can do more.
4. Depression- I am so sad, I cannot continue
5. Acceptance- I'll be ok, things will work out for the best

With the process of down sizing a home of its contents the above stages can show in a persons thoughts and actions throughout the day.  The stages do not have to occur in a particular order.  Having a conscious idea of how the movement of your stuff to another residence will effect you can be a helpful part of the down sizing process. 

Home Care Path http://www.homecarepath.com/Pages/ReducingHomeContentsWhenStuffMatters.aspx

incorporates the above training in to the down sizing process. 

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com Services are tax deductible.  We accept long term care insurance.

Applied Population Laboratory Next 30 Years More Seniors In Wisconsin

Life expectancy is predicted to rise in the next 30 years.  Seniors in Wisconsin will be living longer.  The number of Wisconsin citizens turning 65 and older will continue to increase .   Baby boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 will continue to reach retirement age at a rate of 10 thousand per day.  Wisconsin family's will need services that can help keep their senior at home and out of the hospital and nursing home setting. 

The Applied Population Laboratory (founded in 1965) is a group of research and outreach professionals located within the department of community and environmental socialogy at the University of Madison Wisconsin.  The Applied Population Laboratory is located at 1450 Linden Drive Room 316, Madison Wisconsin 53706.  The Applied Population Laboratory translates collected data to inform State of Wisconsin policy makers when considering changes to community service structure.

The Applied Population Laboratory data indicates the number of Wisconsin seniors will double in the next 30 years.  Physiological changes that accompany the aging process can result in more Wisconsin citizens utilizing hospital and nursing home services. Data indicates their will be less government funded health care staff to serve this growing user population.  Wisconsin can expect health care providers to be serving a larger number of people with similar resources.

The limits to efficiency in the exhisting health care delivery model will require seniors to be more proactive with participating in medical clinic, hospital, and nursing home stays.  Seniors and family will benefit from being organized and  using ongoing thoughtful communication with health care providers.

The State of Wisconsin and the family's of Wisconsin will be looking for services that help keep their elder loved one at home.  Home Care Path (www.homecarepath.com) is a senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.   Wisconsin will look for private providers who can help supplement existing community health services.  The buzz words "aging in place" and "managed in the community" will become more prevalent in press releases.  Clinic visits will begin to look slightly different, while still collecting similar data. 

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  We accept long term care insurance.  Valuing home and human life.

Managing Credibility Professional Testimony The Senior Care Industry

The senior care industry is the provision of services to meet the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens.  Professional testimony is the presentation of pertinent information secondary to knowledge, skill and experience regarding the seniors situation being examined by the court.  The focus of all professional testimony should be the safety of the senior.

The primary responsibility of the senior care provider delivering professional testimony is to manage credibility.  Credibility flows directly from the accumilated knowledge, skill and experience related to keeping seniors safe.  Credibility is what gives the information being exchanged a value for a client, court participants, and the greater community. 

The goal of this research device is to help you recognize the ongoing aspect of process with regard to managing credibility.  The individual providing professional testimony is performing tasks that assess risk to credibility with hearing design.  Using newly forming data to assess presence in future information exchanges that translate to a communicated perception.

The expert witness reviews notes taken with preparation time and pre-trial line of questioning.  The potential questions are listed and numbered.  The expert witness now studies the questions in relation to their field of expertise which is senior safety.  Identify and total all phrase constructs that string directly to the concept of senior safety.  Calculate the number of questions that will require a response verbalizing your field of expertise which is senior safety. 

Now calculate the number of questions that will require a verbal response that falls outside of your field of expertise which is senior safety.  As a person who provides professional testimony you are managing variation as relates to your field of expertise which is senior safety. 

Questions that could be posed not relating to senior safety are recorded as a variation.  Legal teams will use questions unrelated to an expert witnesses field of expertise to create a descrepancy, widening disagreement through identified variance.  The more questions asked outside the realm of senior safety, the greater the variation, and the lower the expert witnesses credibility. 

Let us suppose your calculation of potential questions is 3 regarding senior safety and 14 outside the realm of senior safety.  This is a lead indication you are being utilized for something other than your field of expertise.  You now have an ethical dilemma in that current hearing design calls for questions unrelated to your field of expertise.  You are an expert witness being asked to give testimony on a line of questions you are not experienced to address.  This is the underlying foundation for a loss of credibility.

In this situation professional testimony provided along the current skewed line of questioning would be a dis-service to the client, the court participants, and the greater community. 

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading provider of senior care services in south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule and in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com 2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Valuing home and human life.

Professional Testimony The Senior Care Industry

The senior care industry is the provision of services to meet the special needs and requirements that are unique to senior citizens.  Professional testimony is the presentation of pertinent information secondary to knowledge, skill and experience regarding the seniors situation being examined by the court.

Senior care providers understand what many adult children are going through , fear, confusion, and feelings of guilt when they cannot provide constant care for an aging parent. Professional opinion is verbalized to communicate common themes residing in the care giving experience.  Providing care for an aging parent has its own set of unique needs and challenges.

Testimony can include a description of services available to help seniors age in place.  Delivery that can make care models vary.  The balance between industry standards and best practice.  Resource allocation as relates to local availability.  Costs of care. 

Looking at the seniors specific needs.  Does the medical diagnosis and identified symptoms match up with the treatment plan.  Are the level of services adequately meeting the seniors needs.  How the back up plan is organized to demonstrate care assurance.

Forms of respite and common schedules to manage care giver stress levels for optimum quality of life.  One can see that professional testimony speaks more to pertinent supports and a process of organizing care through the utilization of prioritized decisions that result in senior safety.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com Services are tax deductible.  We can be there when you are working.  Valuing home and human life.

Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation To Navigate Care

Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation is a Madison Wisconsin health insurance provider.  Physicians Plus employs an integrated (managed care) care delivery model.  Two thirds of Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation is owned by the Meriter Medical Group. 

Meriter Medical Group as a business strategy will direct consumer populations through Physicans Plus Insurance Corporation to utilize Meriter services.  Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation as directed by the Meriter Medical Group will implement care navigation to maximize policy holder groups utilization of Meriter's network providers.

This would increase Meriter Medical Groups annual revenue while reducing Physicans Plus Insurance Corporations out of network monetary claims.  The community will be told this is being done to demonstrate proper stewardship over the monthly premium being paid.

Meriter Medical Group and Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation appear to be proactive in changing to insure the ability to continue to effectively serve the community.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wsconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  Valuing home and human life.  Services are tax deductible.

USDA Gives Dean Clinic Of Wisconsin Grant

Wisconsin's Dean Clinic has received a  446,375.00 dollar grant to establish the distance learning and telemedicine program.  The grant is federal money awarded through authorization of the United States Department of Agriculture.

The use of telemedicine in rural areas allows diagnosis and treatment to occur faster.  Telemedicine is the ability to provide interactive health care utilizing modern technology and telecommunications.  The patient and doctor can talk with specialists in real time (live) over video for immediate care.  Health clinic staff can forward images for feedback from specialized disciplines.  Some specialists prefer to see current images and consult with clinic staff rather than comb through files of dictated notes.

This grant money helps deliver the same level of specialized care experienced by residents of large metropolitan areas to the rural  Wisconsin landscape.  This pushes needed specialty services in to the small rural clinics for the benefit of the patient population.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staff with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicorsoft.com 2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Valuing home and human life.

Dean Health Plan Madison Wants Plan For Green Bay Wisconsin

Dean Health Plan of 1277 Deming Way Madison Wisconsin 53717 is acting to expand in to the Green Bay Wisconsin area.  Dean Health Plan is seeking approval through the Wisconsin Office Of The Commissioner of Insurance to market a health insurance product called Prevea360 health plan.

Prevea Health Network PO Box 19070 Green Bay Wisconsin 54307  is a managing organization for a group of health care providers (this includes St. Vincent Hospital, St. Mary's Hospital and Medical Center and more) delivering medical services to the population of North Eastern Wisconsin.

Dean Health Plan is contracting with Prevea Health Network for the purpose of marketing managed care health insurance products to residents of North Eastern Wisconsin.  Prevea360 health plan is an insurance product to be underwritten and administered by Dean Health Plan. 

Dean Health Plan describes their delivery practice as a health care integration model.  Working with large groups of medical providers through written policy plans to manage risk and maintain company integrity.

Home Care Path encourages viewers to watch as Dean Health Plan expands across the State of Wisconsin. Dean Health Plan is a successful health insurance organization of Dane County.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin. Services include:
-in home elder staffing for help with ADL's and IADL's
-in patient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Valuing home and human life.

Dean Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital Now Accountable Care Organization

On Monday July 9, 2012 The Federal Government accepted the application to become an (ACO) Accountable Care Organization submitted by Dean Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital.  As an Accountable Care Organization Dean Clinic and St. Mary's Hospital will share responsibility for providing care to individual patients with Medicare as a pay source.

Dean Clinc and St. Mary's Hospital will use a holistic approach to combine the various disciplines and different departments to best serve the individuals needs. A big part of this involves the use of  technology to facilitate timely communication. 

The Federal Government requires the health network seeking designation as an (ACO) Accountable Care Organization to demonstrate an ongoing capability to serve a minimum of 5 thousand Medicare beneficiaries for a period of at least 36 months.

Financial incentives come from system savings after quality targets have been met.  Medicare shares money saved with the Accountable Care Organization.  This model is different than rewarding providers for per service fee, which encouraged diagnostic menu's that enhanced revenue.

Home Care Path is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com Services are tax deductible.  We can be there when you are working.  Valuing home and human life.

Undue Hardship The Divestment Penalty

Your senior family member is in a nursing home and the county has given them a divestment penalty period.  The senior is being denied medicaid eligibility until the applied divestment penalty period is met.  The nursing home gives the senior a non voluntary discharge notice for non payment. 

The senior is now without assets, and being evicted from the nursing home setting, for not having a valid pay source.  The senior can petition for undue hardship.  This would require proof of serious impairment to the insititutionalized seniors immediate health status.

Filing undue hardship  involves preparing a signed statement describing if the divested assets are recoverable, and includes attempts to recover.  You are seeking to prove that an undue hardship would exist if the divestment penalty period is applied.   This would mean submitting a copy of the involuntary discharge notice, an alternative placement location or basically proof that if the hardship waiver is not granted the senior will go with out needed medical care, food, clothing, and shelter threatening their life.

Home Care Path encourages seniors to consult with a legal firm specializing in elder law when planning for long term care needs.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-downsizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com 2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Services are tax deductible.  Valuing home and human life.

More On Divestment

The divestment penalty period (time individual is deemed not eligible for Medicaid) is calculated by deviding the amount given away by the average daily (209.00)  nursing home cost.  So if you transferred 30 thousand and devided that by 209.00 the person would not be eligible for medicaid for about 143 days.  Which is about 4 months time.

Wisconsin does have an estate recovery program that seeks to reclaim money through identified assets of medicaid receivers.  This is done with leins against property, claims against an estate, affidavids of transfer, and voluntary recovery. 

Assets deemed exempt for divestment can be bit complicated.  Burial assets and a motor vehicle seem exempt.  The home can be exempt if the senior is intending to return home. 

There is some question as to whether a home is counted for divestment if it is transferred to :
-the medicaid applicants spouse
-a disabled child who resides in the home
-a sibling with ownership interest who has resided in the home for at least 12 months
-a care taker child who lives in the home and has helped delay the admission to a nursing home by about 2 years.

Family's are encouraged to contact a legal firm specializing in elder law to determine a responsible strategy for retaining household assets. 

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more sturctured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  Services are tax deductible.  Valuing home and human life.

WISHIN Partners With Medicity Wisconsin Pulse Moves Forward

WISHIN is the Wisconsin State Wide Health Information Network.  WISHIN is the Wisconsin designated authority for health information exchange which was approveded by the Federal Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in 2010. Essentially WISHIN is a non profit organization formed by the Wisconsin Hospital Association, Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Collaboration For Health Care Quality, and the Wisconsin Health Information Organization.

WISHIN has partnered (contracted for service) with Medicity a company that uses technology to enhance information exchange. Medicity has a mailing address of 56 East Broadway, Suite 100, Salt Lake City Utah, 84111.  Medicity facilitates the structure of information technology to enable health care providers access to patient records any time and any where. 

WISHIN pulse is the name applied to this new process.  This helps health care providers securely share patient information as a way to improve clinical service and manage clerical administrative costs.  The power of this process lies in the ability of health care systems to share information beyond their network walls.  Giving an out of network health care provider immediate access to the patients medical record puts more control back in the individuals hands.

With this process in place a patient in Wisconsin can better navigate fragmented health provider networks and access the needed treatment and care in a timely manner.  Medical data collected by a local medical clinic owned by a large health insurance corporation can now flow freely through the interoperation of technology supporting electronic health records.

Wisconsin health providers can now get timely access to recorded past visits to better help the patient. Home Care Path encourages Wisconsin citizens to continue to watch for changes that can improve our health care service.

Home Care Path is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule and in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com 2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Services are tax deductible.  Valuing home and human life.

Wisconsin Traditional Divestment Formula

Wisconsin defines divestment as giving away income, assets, and property for less than fair market value in order to qualify for medicaid.  Divestment is important if the senior is entering a nursing home, or seeking the service of government funded health program like The Wisconsin Partnership Program, The Family Care Program, or other Waiver programming.

When the senior applies for medicaid and has transferred assets in the last 3 years, a divestment penalty period is calculated.  The formula for calculating the divestment period requires the following information.
-Value of the transferred resources
-Date the transfer of the assets occurred
-Date of applying for Medicaid or admission to nursing facility
-Current average monthly nursing home rate

Say the senior transferred 24 thousand dollars in cash over to an adult child on January 18, 2012 and was admitted to the local nursing home on Feb.  2, 2012.  The months of the divestment penalty period are calculated by deviding the divested amount (24 thousand) by the current average monthly nursing home rate (6300.00) which would be about 3.8.  The senior would not be elgible to enroll in medicaid for institutional care for approximately 3.8 months.

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com encourages seniors to consult with a county benefit specialist for help determining eligibility to the State Medicaid services.

Home Care Path is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
- in home staffing for elders and help with ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicating face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com We can be there when you are working.  Services are tax deductible.  Valuing home and human life.

Seniors In Wisconsin Report Increased Sales On Ebay With The Heat

Seniors in Wisconsin are reporting increased sales on ebay and attribute it to the heat wave.  Seniors say much like the cold winter when more individuals are in doors and on line viewing ebay auctions, the heat produces the same outcome.  Seated in air conditioning with more time for viewing ebay auctions for additions to the collection.

Seniors have reported increased movement of older United States money, Royal keepsakes, Masonic items, and things for the fishing tackle box.  Seniors report using the 7 day traditional auction with the buy it now option to increase sales.

Seniors are describing a 10-15 percent reduction in final selling bid from approximately 8 years ago.  Some seniors use this percentage when calculating the initial auction bid.  Seniors report this is definitely still a buyers market, with lots of attractive deals to be had.

Seniors remind viewers looking at ebay auctions to calculate the total cost of the bid plus the shipping fee to get an accurate sense for comparing similar ebay listings.  Happy looking!

Home Care Path www.homecarepath.com is a leading senior care provider serving south central Wisconsin.  Services include:
-in home staffing with help for ADL's and IADL's
-inpatient advocacy for safe successful hospital stays
-transitional counseling when a more structured service is needed
-temporary help with a scheduled day surgery
-down sizing home contents when stuff matters
-communicate face to face on the computer across long distances
Simply call 608-432-4286 to schedule an in home interview.  We accept long term care insurance.  Email lkutzke@homecarepath.onmicrosoft.com 2012 rates are 20.00 per hour.  We can be there when you are working.  Services are tax deductible.  Valuing home and human life.