Britt Stouffer, Esq., Supports Proposed Maryland Legislation ‘Aging in Place’

PR Newswire

ANNAPOLIS, Md., March 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Britt Stouffer, Esq., a Maryland-based lawyer who specializes in estate planning and elder law, announces that she formally supports the proposed legislation that has been introduced by elder law attorney Jason Frank. The people of Maryland who have Medicaid and benefit from the Community First Choice (CFC) program may be in danger of losing access to home assistance services once they age into Medicare. The Maryland Medicaid Home and Community Based Services Options Waiver (HCBOW) should provide the needed services, such as assistance with bathing and dressing at home or more, to individuals with disabilities but it has an extremely long waiting list. The current wait time is eight years. Stouffer Legal wishes to help families get the care their loved ones need as they age into Medicare and prepare for estate planning.

"The CFC Problem" Bill (State Senate Bill 699 and State House Bill 832) addresses the issue of individuals who benefit from the CFC program losing access to home care once they age into Medicare. The "End the 8-Year Waiting List" Bill (State Senate Bill 700 and State House Bill 1009) aims to place requirements on the HCBOW in order to eliminate its extremely long waiting list. The hearings for both bills will take place in March of 2019.

"I strongly support the proposed legislation and I feel that the bills introduced by Mr. Frank will help individuals with disabilities to continue receiving the care needed as they get older," said Britt Stouffer, managing partner of Stouffer Legal. "We would like our clients to be able to receive the care they need now and still be able to plan for the future."

Individuals who stop qualifying for the CFC program can be put on the registry for HCBOW. The problem with HCBOW is that the registry currently has 22,000 individuals on it and it is expected to take eight years for a person to receive services. The only way to bypass this system is to enter a nursing home, even if it is unnecessary. Stouffer Legal believes this is not the best way for Marylanders to continue receiving services and the attorneys support the two bills that will help individuals receive the care they need now without paying for unnecessary nursing home care.

During a briefing on Jan. 17, 2019, Mr. Frank gave a presentation that laid out the issues with the HCBOW program and showed how the current proposed legislation can fix them. If passed, the bill will require the HCBOW to meet the projected demand for services and it requires that registrants come off the registry at a rate that would eliminate the eight-year waiting list within 12 months. It will require HCBOW to provide services to eligible individuals within 30 days and to provide information to registrants about their exact place on the registry or an indication of when they may receive services.

To read more about the bills and to view a video of the briefing, visit https://blog.stoufferlegal.com/2019/02/attorney-jason-frank-fighting-for-maryland-to-age-in-place.html.

Dates and Locations for Both Bills:

HB 832 – SB 699, "The CFC Bill"

Date and Time: March 6, 2019, at 1 p.m.

Location:

House Health & Government Operations Committee, Room 241 (House Office Building)
20 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

HB 1009 – SB 700, "The Waiver Bill"

Date and Time: March 11, 2019, at 2 p.m.

Location:

House Health & Government Operations Committee, Room 241 (House Office Building)
20 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

SB 699 and SB 700

Date and Time: March 13, 2019, at 1 p.m.

Location:

House Health & Government Operations Committee, Room 241 (House Office Building)
20 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

About Stouffer Legal:

With compassion, Stouffer Legal strives to teach Maryland families how to take control of their estate and protect their family. The expert attorneys have created innovative approaches for asset protection, including isolating asset liability, minimizing tax exposure and extending long-term care coverage. The attorneys provide numerous legal services including last will and testament. Visit http://stoufferlegal.com/ to learn more.

Media Contact:
Stouffer Legal
443-470-3599
office@stoufferlegal.com

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