Behind Maine’s Long-term Care Curtain

BDN article “Maine lawmaker’s bill highlights novel option for affording long-term care: life insurance”

How much more bilking must taxpayers take?

How many elderly, and their heirs, have lost their homes through the DHHS MaineCare Estate Recovery Program?

How about a Maine Theft of Public Funds Recovery Program?

The elderly have already put money into the piggy bank….their whole lives. The state collects twice! This is totally disgusting…

Who funds all of these government programs? The state takes from the people their entire life…people who pay the salaries of those in office who come up with these programs. If someone is elected to public office, they’ve made a “promise to fulfill a contract”, unfortunately these contracts are not upheld, should we the people be obligated to continue the “costs incurred”?

Keep you eyes and ears open to the surrendering of your parent’s life insurance policies in order to qualify for MaineCare, Maine’s version of Medicaid.

“Legislation, LD 1092, sponsored by Sen. Margaret Craven, D-Lewiston, involves an often overlooked way for seniors to pay for long-term care. The bill aims to help some older consumers who, faced with the prospect of paying for expensive assisted-living and nursing facilities, surrender their life insurance policies in order to qualify for MaineCare.”

“To qualify for MaineCare, applicants must deplete their financial resources. Life insurance policies can prevent some seniors from qualifying for the health insurance program for the poor because the policies are considered assets.”

Life insurance is a “safety net” for funeral expenses.

So now we have this picture. The elderly, who’ve paid into all the government programs all of their lives and need care, must be stripped of their home, leaving nothing to their children except a probate court battle, in order to receive care.  Now with the prospect of paying for assisted-living and nursing facilities, through the surrendering of  their life insurance policies in order to qualify for MaineCare, who will foot the bill for funeral expenses? The children?

Chris Orestis is CEO of Life Care Funding, a Portland company that converts life insurance policies to help consumers pay for long-term care. “Life Care Funding, which worked with Craven to draft the bill and would benefit from its passage, buys out the policies and sets up accounts to pay its customers’ long-term care providers.”

Chris Orestis is also a Famouth City Councilor, click here.

Repeated requests were made for a full investigation into Medicare and Medicaid payments that were paid out in excess for prescription drugs that were not needed, medical equipment that was not needed and stays (against the will of a person) at a local hospital and nursing home in Biddeford. The Maine Bureau of Corporations did not have any filing in the name of the nursing home. It was discovered through the Medicaid printout that North Country Health Care Assoc. received Medicaid payments for the nursing home in 1998.

Governor LePage “has made difficult and painful decisions to correct an ongoing deficit that has been neglected in the last decade” and is looking for solutions. He could start by investigating the “miscalcuations” of monies given to a corporation that was not licensed at the time of receipt of Medicaid funding , North Country Health Care Assoc.

Medicaid printout, click here.

Governor John Baldacci had years to work on health care issues to include Medicaid funding and elder abuse which continues today. However, he chose instead to further his personal agenda with the help of his campaign contributors, ie. North Country Associates, at the expense of taxpayers and the precious lives.

These serious concerns regarding possible Medicaid fraud were brought to Senator Susan Collins. As Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, a thank you was received from Senator Collins for contacting her and that was the end of that! Senator Collins reply, click here.

The smell to this? John Orestis, nursing home(s) owner is a relative of Chris Orestis (believed to be a brother.)

Is there more going on Behind Maine’s Long-term Care Curtain?

Related, click here.