Today

Nursing home fire in Chile kills 16 elderly residents

Good morning. The most serious story today is a fire at a nursing home in Chile that killed 16 elderly residents and sent 10 more to the hospital. In the United States, fire also struck senior care facilities: brothers rescued a group of elderly residents from a burning assisted living facility in California, and a separate fire at an assisted living facility in Glendale caused a roof collapse and sent 7 people to the hospital. Together these stories are a reminder of how vulnerable frail, older residents can be when disaster strikes their care homes.

On the money side, two personal stories illustrate how Medicaid rules can surprise families. In one case, a woman married at 74 with a prenup meant to protect her $600,000 was told Medicaid doesn't recognize prenups when her husband later needed nursing home care. In another, a family cabin worth $180,000 was counted as an asset by Medicaid, and the nursing home received it before grandchildren could inherit it.

Several headlines point to rising Medicare costs, including a warning from a Trump administration official that costs are set to increase, and a proposal for reimbursement cuts that Oklahoma doctors say could endanger patients. For anyone navigating a plan change, open enrollment help is being offered in Morrison from October 15 through December 7.