MS Consulting Group LLC

Winter 2012 Newsletter

MSConsultingGroup — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 02:31:29 +0000

Download our Winter 2012 newsletter here – MS Consulting Winter 2012 Newsletter

The Phony CLASS Act Scandal

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:19:23 +0000

Forbes – http://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2011/09/16/the-phony-class-act-scandal/

How the Bay Area can afford old age

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:19:05 +0000

San Francisco Bay Area – http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/15/EDQD1L44TR.DTL

Health-Care Law’s LTC Program Unsustainable, Republicans Say

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:18:41 +0000

AdvisorOne – http://www.advisorone.com/2011/09/15/health-care-laws-ltc-program-unsustainable-republi

Few Texans Getting Long-Term Care Insurance

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:17:39 +0000

In a column in the Fort Worth Star Telegram (9/16), Teresa Mcusic writes Texas “is having a tough time” on enrolling people in its three year old “long-term care insurance partnership program that help buyers protect assets if they need to apply for Medicaid,” with only 10,443 partnership policies sold through the end of last year. “Texans are not generally buying policies with this benefit in mind.” At issue can be the premium costs, which “aren’t cheap,” or “finding coverage” due to “aggressive underwriting health qualifications that can be difficult for many to meet.”

Full article – http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/09/15/3371549/few-texans-making-use-of-long.html

Report Elicits Renewed Criticism Of CLASS Program

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:17:20 +0000

Politico (9/16, Kenen) says, “A new report adds fresh details to the conventional wisdom that a new long-term care insurance program is fiscally out of whack — but there’s also widespread agreement among experts that there are lots of ways to try to fix it.” The data, released by congressional Republicans, “lambasted” the Community Living Assistance Support and Stability (CLASS) “program as a boondoggle that Democrats rammed through Congress during health reform while knowing full well it would be a fiscal time bomb.” Politico notes that HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has stated that “the law — modified after the summer of 2009, the starting point for the Republican report — gives HHS the power to make changes, and set premiums, so that the program can be made to work.”

The Washington Post (9/16, Kliff) “Wonk Blog” reports that recently released emails show the concern “over the CLASS Act’s financial stability. The long-term insurance program relies on voluntary enrollment.” Should “only a small group of unhealthy people — those who anticipate using the services — sign up, the program could quickly destabilize.”

Full Article – http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63642.html

CLASS Act Report

MSConsultingGroup — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 15:16:55 +0000

http://energycommerce.house.gov/media/file/pdfs/class/classuntoldstoryreport.pdf

What You Need To Know About The “Public Option” For Long-Term Care Insurance

MSConsultingGroup — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 19:17:56 +0000

The CLASS act stands for Community Living Assistance Services and Support Act, and is Title VIII of the Health Care Reform Bill. It is a legacy of the late Senator Ted Kennedy.

The plan creates a voluntary government run long-term care insurance program and is effective January 1, 2011. However, the Department of Health and Human Services has until October 1, 2012 to design the plan, and it is not anticipated to be ready until 2013.

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How A Long Term Care Insurance Trust Can Increase The Value Of One’s Estate

MSConsultingGroup — Tue, 10 May 2011 21:56:38 +0000

Achieving the top strata of net worth has its advantages and its challenges. To address the challenges, persons of exceptional wealth enlist the assistance of trusted advisors to manage their planning needs.

There are many risks subject to such management, not the least of which is the risk of a debilitating injury or illness, or onset of a chronic condition requiring extended health care. Why should ultra-high net worth clients address this risk? Why should financial advisors include planning for this risk alongside traditional wealth management efforts?

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Executive Benefits Under Scrutiny: How to Reward and Retain Top Talent

MSConsultingGroup — Tue, 10 May 2011 21:55:18 +0000

Executive compensation unquestionably is a hot-button topic. The recent focus is hardly unexpected in a time when multi-billion dollar bailouts have become the norm. Corporations are experiencing a backlash of shareholder and public outcry regarding lavish pay and bonuses. This heightened scrutiny is not limited to bailout beneficiaries: shareholders of businesses at all levels are examining how their upper-level management is being compensated and whether that compensation bears a relationship to results.

But compensation is not the only target. Perquisites such as deferred compensation, retiree life insurance, stock options and any benefit viewed as an expensive “add-on” in this leaner climate will come under the microscope. Companies are cutting costs and are looking to freeze and even reduce salaries and 401k matches and eliminate bonus programs and profit sharing entirely. Other companies are laying off employees by the droves and enforcing unpaid furloughs.

Download Our Full Article