Seventy percent of those who reach age 65 will need long-term care services or expensive in-home nursing care, and 42% of it nationwide is paid for by Medicaid.

With long-term care costing nearly $100,000 a year in Nebraska as of 2022, assets can quickly be wiped out.

Ann Mangiameli, an attorney in Omaha, said states are required to "recover" funds Medicaid spends on in-home or out-of-home nursing care for those 55 and older, but the Spousal Impoverishment program allows the healthy spouse to preserve a portion of their assets. It includes their house, if the spouse continues to live there.

She pointed out if one member of a couple may need nursing home care, they should request a "Spousal Impoverishment" assessment through the Department of Health and Human Services, which involves dividing their total assets in half.

"And then they look at the half of the assets that goes to the spouse that's going to be considered the one needing the nursing care," Mangiameli explained. "That person needs to spend their assets down to $4,000 in Nebraska to qualify for Medicaid."

Mangiameli noted the house is not considered when totaling the couple's assets. She said once the spouse needing care qualifies for Medicaid, the house should be transferred to the name of the spouse living there, referred to as the "community spouse." If it is not done, and the community spouse dies first, the house becomes eligible for Medicaid recovery since it is considered an asset of the spouse who's receiving Medicaid.

As of 2022, the "community spouse" can keep a maximum of roughly $137,000 and a minimum of roughly $27,000. They can also keep their income up to just over $3,400 a month, with amounts adjusted annually based on inflation.

Mangiameli emphasized by delaying the Medicaid assessment until the couples' assets have further dwindled, the community spouse may qualify to keep a lower amount. She also cautioned seniors assets given away within five years of applying for Medicaid -- the current "look-back" period -- will be considered when determining total assets. Although it will not permanently disqualify a person from Medicaid, it will result in a "penalty period."

"So, let's say you gave away $100,000, and the nursing home that you're going into is $10,000, you are ineligible for a period of 10 months," Mangiameli outlined. "It's the actual cost of the facility up to whatever that amount of money is."

Mangiameli added since 2017, the state law said all assets, with or without a probated will, and including those in a trust, may be eligible for Medicaid recovery.

Nebraska's Spousal Impoverishment Program and Medicaid Recovery both include a number of exceptions and special considerations, so Mangiameli urged seniors to consult with an elder law attorney and not delay seeking a Spousal Impoverishment assessment if they anticipate needing Medicaid in the future.

"People need to know that Medicaid Recovery is a thing; that they will get letters," Mangiameli stressed. "Nebraska is required to try to get paid back for any Medicaid payments, specifically once they are in nursing homes. And families usually don't know that until they get those letters in the mail."


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Air travelers could face fewer obstacles in securing a refund if their flight is canceled or changed under new federal rules announced Wednesday.

The moves are being praised by watchdog groups. The Department of Transportation said airlines are now required to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when they are owed one.

Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, said some carriers have not adhered to standards, leaving passengers in a bind.

"They would drag their feet, and they would say, 'Well, you bought your ticket from a ticket agent, so we don't know where your money is. Or, here, have a voucher,'" Murray explained.

Amid higher complaint volumes, companies will be forced to act quickly. The new rules, which are being phased in, provide clearer definitions for travel disruptions, including delays of at least three hours on a domestic flight and six hours on international flights. A key industry group responded to the announcement by touting transparency efforts among carriers.

Murray acknowledged most people are not frequent flyers, and it is hard for them to keep up on all the least practices and policies among airlines.

"The average person only flies once every 18 months," Murray pointed out. "This will just bring transparency to that process and it kind of evens the playing field."

Murray added it could come in handy for Midwestern customers when a winter storm wreaks havoc on air travel. The new rules also require refunds for baggage fees when a piece of luggage is delayed by 12 hours or more for domestic flights. And there must be upfront disclosure on fees for first and second checked bags and carry-on bags.


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Wisconsin lawmakers recently debated reforms for payday loans. Efforts to protect consumers come amid new research about financial pain associated with cash advances offered through smartphone apps. The Center for Responsible Lending is out with findings that detail how "earned wage advances" from digital platforms come with extra costs disguised as things like tips. Traditional payday lenders are often criticized for charging excessive interest rates on loans that are usually around $500.

Lucia Constantine, a researcher with the Center for Responsible Lending, said customers are usually seeking smaller amounts from the apps, but she warns they can be just as costly.

"They are trapping consumers in a cycle of borrowing that is similar to that of a payday loan, " she said.

The report said after using these financial products, customers are seeing overdrafts on their checking accounts increase by 56% on average. Industry leaders deny they're barraging consumers with hidden fees, stressing that features such as suggested tips are optional. More broadly, a bipartisan payday loan reform bill in the Wisconsin Legislature failed to advance this month.

Constantine said like longstanding payday lenders, these cash advance apps can be hard to regulate. Meanwhile, she urged those in a bind to explore other options.

"[They should] try talking to their friends and family as a first source. The other option which I would recommend is reaching out to their credit union or banking institution to see if they can get some sort of small-dollar loan," she said.

She noted places such as credit unions typically provide more transparency on loan costs. According to the report, three-quarters of consumers took out at least one advance on the same day or day after a re-payment was posted.


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Food prices remain high, in Montana and across the country.

A new report by the Federal Trade Commission says the country's largest grocery companies are gouging consumers, by keeping prices artificially high.

Many grocers, retailers and wholesalers have consolidated to cut costs. Grocers continue to blame supply chain problems, even though regulators have said most of those issues have been resolved.

President of the advocacy group Farm Action, Angela Huffman, said retailers were doing more than making up for lost revenue during the pandemic-era supply chain disruptions - and the FTC report says they continue to do so.

"In 2021, the retailer revenues, they rose to more than 6% higher than their total costs, and that those profits are still going up," said Huffman. "So, in the first nine months of 2023, the profits increased to 7%."

At nearly 6.5%, Montana had the nation's ninth-highest grocery price increase in 2023.

The FTC data show Amazon, Kroger and WalMart each gained market share during and after the pandemic - while profits continued to rise.

Other large retailers and wholesalers have consolidated, which they say gives them more buying power and the ability to pass those savings on to customers.

Huffman said that isn't what's happening, and calls on regulators to fine the grocers, or more.

"This would be kind of the farthest extent of what they could do, but go so far as breaking them up," said Huffman. "In years past, they broke up the telephone companies and the railroads and, you know, that would be the ideal outcome for us, is to take away their excessive power."

Huffman also points to a 150% increase in egg prices in 2023, which producers blamed on the avian flu. The FTC says the disease did not justify the drastic price hike.