A successful election campaign geared toward reforming Medicaid has landed state Rep. Mike Tryon on the special state committee considering that issue.Tryon, a Republican from Crystal Lake serving the 64th District, will join 14 other legislators on the bipartisan committee. The group aims to reduce the costs associated with Medicaid.
“In 2007, our Medicaid costs were approximately $9.9 billion, and today, just three years later, those costs have almost doubled to $16 billion,” Tryon said. “Our budget is being consumed by Medicaid costs and we must look at reforms to find efficiencies and eliminate fraud.”
Members of the committee will hold hearings around the state between now and when the General Assembly convenes in January for its next session. The findings and recommendations will be presented then to other lawmakers.
Source:
Tryon to Work on Medicaid Reform
Guardianship reform will also reform Medicaid.
ReplyDeleteThink of the millions if not billions of dollars the taxpayers get stuck for as the fiduciaries move on to their next victim.
Victims, here's a good source. I suggest everybody write to Mike Tryon!
ReplyDeleteGood idea folks to contact Rep. Mike Tryon about what we know. Illinois is not the only state going bankrupt, the Medicaid bill to the taxpayers is outrageous and growing.
ReplyDeleteWhen there are more 'getting' than giving via taxes = the gigs up.
Each person that is wrongfully added to Medicaid list via fraudulent schemes including the probate mob hiding their wards assets for 'administrative' fees is wrong wrong and criminal and it must stop post haste.
Springfield Office:
ReplyDelete201-N Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-0432 Phone
(217) 782-3189 Fax
District Office:
1 N. Virginia St.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(815) 459-6453 Phone
(815) 455-8284 Fax
Medicaid Reform is desperately needed throughout all the Sates ! I congratulate State Rep. Mike Tryon and the other 14 legislators bipartisan committee aiming at reducing the costs associated with Medicaid. One of the places they will find how to reduce Medicaid Costs is to read daily the NASGA blog site. [My Suggestion] is to review Resident files at all the nursing facilities to determine if the residents living there have a "Least restrictive, environment,” other than a nursing facility, And, also find out if there is a guardian, attorney, fiduciary or judge preventing the Resident returning home to a "Least restrictive Environment" where there is family willing and able to care for the Elder/Resident. In numerous newspaper articles, it has been published, many of our elders are being held prisoner at a nursing facility, while a corrupt judicial court system is raiding the elder of their life savings, trust funds, etc.etc... Evidence of these facts are in the news daily of our older Americans being victimized by predators who are just waiting for their next kill. This is not an exaggeration this is happening here in America. My Mother, Mollie Florkey has been held prisoner at a Hillsboro Ohio nursing facility for over three years without medical necessity by the guardian. Mom’s guardian forcibly and illegally evicted my mother from her home. I stayed with Mom as her caregiver for over three years and successfully took care of her medical and personal needs. Mom is now indigent, due to being robbed of her life and life savings, the guardian has isolated Mom from family, friends and spiritual associations while she lives out her life alone and afraid at the facility. The guardian has not allowed Mom and I to see one another for over three years because I want to take care of Mom in my home. The court not only has allowed the guardian to terrorize, and abuse my Mother but our family has been devastated by a corrupt judicial court system. And of course the nursing facility's will go along with this corruption because of the Revenue Money they receive from the State Medicaid. Our Taxpayers should be very interested in the following survey.
ReplyDeleteSee 2010 MetLife Market Survey Of Long-Term Care Costs:
Average Cost of Nursing Home Room Tops $83K a Year
Nursing home and assisted living rates rose significantly from 2009 to 2010, according to the 2010 MetLife Market Survey of Long-Term Care Costs. Private room nursing home rates rose 4.6 percent to $83,585 a year or $229 a day, while assisted living facility costs climbed 5.2 percent on average to $39,516 a year or $3,293 a month.
The average cost of home health care aides and adult day care were unchanged, after having jumped about 5 percent the year before. Home care aides still average $21 per hour and adult day care services remain at an average $67 per day.
The survey also reports on the cost of a semi-private room in a nursing home, which increased 3.5 percent to $205 a day, or $74,825 a year. The cost of a semi-private room in an Alzheimer’s wing actually dropped, from an average of $75,920 to an average of $75,190 annually.
Once again, the highest rates for a private nursing home room in 2010 were found in Alaska, where the cost is now $687 a day on average. The lowest rates were found in Louisiana (with the exception of Baton Rouge and the Shreveport area), at $138 a day.
The cost of assisted living was the highest in the Washington, D.C. area, at $5,231 a month and the lowest in Arkansas (except for Little Rock) at $2,073 a month. Average home health care aide services ranged from a high of $30 an hour in Rochester, Minnesota, to $14 an hour in the Shreveport area of Louisiana. Adult day care services were highest in Vermont at an average of $140 a day and lowest in the Montgomery, Alabama, area at $31 a day.
Clearly, home is the least restrictive alternative for my Mother, Mollie Florkey as well as her desire, And for many others.
Kudos to Mr. Tryon for tackling this enormous task! It's a good thing he's got us to help direct his attention to the most serious problems ;)
ReplyDeleteI would urge Mr. Tryon and his committee to look very closely at the use of OBRA Special Needs Pooled Trusts in the Cook County Probate Court system. There is apparent abuse of Medicaid within the court systems. More about this may be read at:
ReplyDeletewww.probatesharks.com
I agree with you. The Cook County probate courts need to be reexamined. My parents are in a guardianship in Crook County and it was brought up twice in court that my parent's money should be in an OBRA despite the fact that my family is the primary caregiver and that they have money to pay for assisted living, if they need it. Why put the burden on taxpayers so that the guardian of the estate can use up the ObRA account for legal and administrative fees?
ReplyDeleteThis is serious as it gets.
ReplyDeleteMedicaid reform is top priority....how did the person end up on this growing list?
Estate planning lawyers advertise how to have the government, the state pay for nursing home and related expenses while burying the assets for the heirs.
Now the guardianship racket has their greedy hands on this trust issue, OBRA trust so they can 'ensure' they are paid leaving us chump taxpayers with another person on Medicaid.
Do the math and remember:
The government is.......YOU AND ME! Our taxes will keep rising to meet the expenses while the guardianship racket is hauling their take by the truckloads using the OBRA trust scheme.
My immediate concerns about this fact finding mission:
1) is the inadequate amount of time scheduled for intake, evaluation and remedies for reform to meet the deadline is impossible.
2) where and when are the meetings scheduled?
3) who is invited to speak, to testify?
4) is the meeting by the committee open to the public with adance notice?
5) and how will these events be announced?
A lot to consider folks.