New Laws in Connecticut Aimed at Elder Care

Earlier this summer, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed new bills into law that are aimed at improving elder care in the state, including certain additions to Medicaid coverage for older adults in the state. As you are beginning to think about your own long-term care plans, or if you are helping your elderly parents to consider Medicaid planning and other long-term care issues, it is important to know about the new laws and the protections they provide. An experienced Connecticut elder law attorney at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can provide you with more information, and we can speak with you today if you have any questions about Medicaid or long-term care planning.

Details of the New Laws 

The new laws provide different protections for older adults currently receiving, or who may eventually need, long-term care. The first bill signed into law, Public Act 24-141, requires more transparency surrounding fees in long-term care facilities in Connecticut, and transparency around the frequency of fee increases. Accordingly, more people will be able to plan better in terms of finances necessary for long-term care. The law also requires partial refunds in certain cases where long-term care facilities are unable to meet the needs of the resident. Another law, Public Act 24-39, makes new requirements for employee screening and other employment matters to make facilities safer for older adults.

The governor also signed Senate Bill 307 into law, which will require Medicaid to cover the costs of biomarker testing for certain diseases that can ultimately require long-term care, such as certain cancers and Alzheimer’s disease. The law will help to ensure that a wide range of Medicaid enrollees, including older adults, receive the screenings for certain diseases that are necessary to provide proper treatments.

What to Consider with Long-Term Care Planning 

If you, or an aging parent, eventually require long-term care and need to rely on Medicaid to cover the costs, you will want to be sure that you have engaged in long-term care planning with an experienced elder law attorney.

What should you expect in terms of long-term care planning or Medicaid planning? The process typically involves considering your sources for long-term care in the future (such as long-term care insurance), and ways of protecting assets that you have. There are different ways to protect assets so that you do not have to spend down in order to qualify for Medicaid, including certain trusts. An elder law and asset protection lawyer can tell you more.

Contact a Canton, Connecticut Elder Law Attorney 

Whether you are considering long-term care planning for yourself or for an elderly parent, it is essential to seek legal advice. There are a wide range of issues that should go into long-term care planning, and an experienced Canton elder law attorney at the Law Office of Brian S. Karpe can ensure that you understand all of the options and make choices that are best suited to your needs. Contact us today to find out more about how we assist Connecticut residents with many different types of elder law matters.

Sources:

cga.ct.gov/2024/ACT/PA/PDF/2024PA-00141-R00HB-05046-PA.PDF

mcknightsseniorliving.com/news/2-bills-make-connecticut-a-better-place-to-grow-old-senior-living-provider-groups-say/