MIR-2007-2AB, February 2007

The New HHS National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information Web Site

Provider Types Affected
Physicians and providers and their staff who provide services to Medicare beneficiaries

Provider Action Needed
This special edition article is for informational purposes and may assist providers when counseling their patients regarding long-term care. The article announces that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has developed a consumer Web site to help beneficiaries carefully prepare a safe and secure strategy for their future healthcare needs. Resources on the new Web site include a Long-Term Care Planning Kit and detailed information on what long term care needs are, step-by-step planning, and financial preparation. The free Long-Term Planning Kit and resources to start the planning process can be found at http://www.longtermcare.gov. The planning kit may also be ordered by phone by calling 1-866-PLAN-LTC (1-866-752-6582). TTY users should call 800-427-5605.

Background MLN Matters Number: SE0680 Related Change Request Number: N/A
This special edition article is being provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to inform you that the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information is a new user-friendly consumer Web site that provides in-depth objective information on understanding, planning, and paying for long-term care. This important Web site is a collaborative effort between the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), and it was developed as part of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 (Section 6021 (d)) which allocated funds to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help Americans take an active role in planning for their future.

Located at http://www.longtermcare.gov, the Clearinghouse Web site features information and tools to help people better understand the risks for and the costs of long-term care, and it is part of ongoing efforts to increase public awareness about the importance of advance planning for future long-term care needs. Given that one of the biggest barriers to planning is misinformation about long-term care, the Clearinghouse Web site is designed to provide people with the trusted information and resources they need to take an active role in planning for possible future health care needs.

With an emphasis on the importance of future planning, the Web site provides a number of resources and interactive tools to help people prepare for their future healthcare needs including:

• Objective information on specific long-term care planning options, including the pros and cons of private financing options such as personal savings, long-term care insurance, reverse mortgages, and other options;
• In-depth information on the availability and limitations of Medicaid in all states, including eligibility and estate recovery requirements;
• State-specific long-term care insurance Partnership Programs under Medicaid;
• Planning resources that include an interactive savings calculator, information on the costs of care across the United States, and examples illustrating how individuals have planned successfully; and
• State and national contact information for a range of long-term care programs and planning services.

The Web site also includes the Long-Term Care Planning Kit, initially developed for the “Own Your Future” Campaign. Information regarding this campaign is in MLN Matters article SE0671, located at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0671.pdf on the CMS site.

MLN Matters Number: SE0680 Related Change Request Number: N/A
A survey showed that consumers who received the Long-Term Care Planning Kit were twice as likely to take some type of planning action, including evaluating their existing coverage, talking to a financial planner, buying long-term care insurance, or considering a reverse mortgage, as those who did not receive the Planning Kit. The Planning Kit can be ordered or downloaded on the Clearinghouse Web site at http://www.longtermcare.gov, as well as calling 1-866-PLAN-LTC. It can also be ordered or downloaded at http://www.aoa.gov/ownyourfuture.

Additional Information
For more information about the “Own Your Future” campaign and the National Clearinghouse for Long-Term Care Information, please visit http://www.longtermcare.gov.

Disclaimer
This article was prepared as a service to the public and is not intended to grant rights or impose obligations. This article may contain references or links to statutes, regulations, or other policy materials. The information provided is only intended to be a general summary. It is not intended to take the place of either the written law or regulations. We encourage readers to review the specific statutes, regulations and other interpretive materials for a full and accurate statement of their contents.

MLN Matters Number: SE0680
Related Change Request (CR) #: N/A
Effective Date: N/A

Flu Shot Reminder
It's Not Too Late to Get the Flu Shot. We are in the midst of flu season and a flu vaccine is still the best way to prevent infection and the complications associated with the flu. But revaccination is necessary each year because the flu viruses change each year. Encourage your Medicare patients who haven’t already done so to get their annual flu shot and don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends. Get Your Flu Shot. It’s Not Too Late!

Remember - Influenza vaccination is a covered Part B benefit. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For more information about Medicare’s coverage of adult immunizations and educational resources, go to CMS’s Web site: http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNMattersArticles/downloads/SE0667.pdf