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March 30, 2020

The elderly and the coronavirus, Medicaid denials, advance directives explored in ABA e-journal

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2020 —The American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging has released its March-April 2020 issue of BIFOCAL e-journal, which features stories about a disturbing trend to deny Medicaid recipients nursing home care, coronavirus nursing home restrictions and the importance of advance directives.

The March-April 2020 issue is a collection of articles written by law and aging experts who are available to media outlets seeking sources. Experts and their articles include:

  • “When Nursing Home Care is Denied,” A look at how many Medicaid recipients are enduring harmful coverage denials and the work that needs to be done for health plans to have more options to offer assisted living facilities.  By Eric Carlson
  • “Nursing Homes Restrict Visitors Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak.” As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) directed the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes to take aggressive measures to control the outbreak among vulnerable seniors. By Carole Fleck
  • “Speaking for the Dying.” “Seven in 10 Americans over age 60 who require medical decisions in the final days of life lack capacity to make them. For many of us, the biggest life-and-death decisions of our lives—literally—will, therefore, be made by someone else.” By Susan P. Shapiro
  • “Civil Recovery in Elder Financial Exploitation Cases.” A rapidly growing area of civil litigation is the area to recover assets stolen by financial exploitation. Civil recovery is challenging in elder financial abuse cases, find out why. By David Godfrey

BIFOCAL e-journal provides important information about recent developments in law and aging and provides timely, legal resources pertaining to older persons. It is published bi-monthly.

To view BIFOCAL, click here.

The ABA can refer reporters to legal experts available to speak about BIFOCAL e-journal articles about coronavirus, Medicaid denials, advance directives and elder financial exploitation and more.  Reporters seeking comment and analysis on these topics may contact Betsy Adeboyejo at 202-662-1039 or at [email protected] for more information. 

The ABA is the largest voluntary association of lawyers in the world. As the national voice of the legal profession, the ABA works to improve the administration of justice, promotes programs that assist lawyers and judges in their work, accredits law schools, provides continuing legal education, and works to build public understanding around the world of the importance of the rule of law. View our privacy statement online. Follow the latest ABA news at www.americanbar.org/news and on Twitter @ABANews