Governor Patrick signs long term care insurance bill

                        The Massachusetts Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (MassNAELA) today announces a legislative victory for seniors, as Governor Deval Patrick has signed into law a bill protecting individuals from losing their homes if they choose to use long-term care insurance for community-based care before entering a nursing home. Bill S.2359 grants an exemption from MassHealth estate recovery claims whether an individual uses their long-term care insurance for at-home or nursing home care. Prior to this bill, the MassHealth estate recovery exemption only applied when long-term care insurance policies were used for nursing home care.