CREW continues to expose Stephen Moses, director of the Center for Long-Term Care Reform, as a shill for the long-term care insurance industry, during his year-long national road show. Mr. Moses is touring the U.S. in the insurance company sponsored "Silver Bullet" -- shown below:

Melanie Sloan had this warning about Mr. Moses and his tour:

The public should be aware as Stephen Moses travels across the country that he is not an independent voice advocating reform, but rather is paid to express the views of the long-term care insurance industry.

On Wednesday, February 13, Moses will be speaking to state legislators in Columbia, SC where he will attend the annual “Day on the Hill” event hosted by the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters. His full schedule is available here.

In October, 2007, CREW sent a letter to U.S. Senator Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, asking that he initiate an investigation into Moses and his organization, for posing as an independent expert from a respected think tank, rather than his true role as a front man for the long-term care industry. Additionally, this past December, CREW sent letters to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Association of State Medicaid Directors warning them of Mr. Moses’ ties to the long-term care insurance industry in advance of his national tour.

According to his website, www.centerltc.com, Moses has testified as an independent expert on long-term care before two-thirds of the nation’s state legislatures and has been actively working to create legislation to benefit the industry in states throughout the country. Moses is not, however, actually independent.

When Moses launched the Center for Long-Term Care Reform in 1998, he began actively soliciting the industry for contributions, stating “The long-term care insurance industry -- and LTC providers whose financial survival depends on the growth of private financing -- must take steps to encourage private sector solutions. The Center for Long-Term Financing is uniquely positioned to promote this effort.” He also boasted, “The Center increases long-term care insurance sales remarkably,” and “Our established credibility as an independent third-party voice allows us to perform in essential roles that no one else can fill for reasons of perceived bias and self-interest.”

In January, 2008, Moses began a “National Long-Term Care Consciousness Tour.” Details of the tour are available here. Moses has been soliciting corporate and organizational sponsorships to help him make the tour profitable. Part of the purpose of the tour is to make “political contacts with Governors, state legislators, city council members, Congressional representatives, state Insurance Commissioners, Medicaid directors and their staffs toward the end of improving long-term care public policy.” .

By “improving long-term care public policy,” Moses really means working to increase the number of people purchasing long-term care insurance. Moses has blamed government funding of Medicaid for the fact that the long-term care insurance market is not expanding as rapidly as insurers would like.

CREW will continue to expose the actions of Moses as the shill that he is.

Last month, CREW wrote to the the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)and the National Association of State Medicaid Directors (NASMD) concerning Stephen Moses and the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and his planned “National Long-Term Care Consciousness Tour.” Moses has spent the past decade posing as an independent expert from a respected think tank that analyzes the need for long-term care insurance, but is in fact serving as a front for the long-term care insurance industry. Our letters can be found here.  We want to make sure that any state insurance commissioners or Medicaid directors who meet with Mr. Moses should at least be aware that he is not an independent voice, but rather is paid to express the views of the long-term care insurance industry.

We received a response from NAIC. Mr. Moses and his group are not working with that organization, we've been told:

Today, CREW sent letters to two national organizations, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the National Association of State Medicaid Directors, concerning Stephen Moses and the Center for Long-Term Care Reform and his planned “National Long-Term Care Consciousness Tour.” Moses has spent the past decade posing as an independent expert from a respected think tank that analyzes the need for long-term care insurance, but is in fact serving as a front for the long-term care insurance industry.

The letters can be found here. 

According to his website, Mr. Moses has testified as an independent expert on long-term care before two-thirds of the nation’s state legislatures. He has been quoted in stories around the country and has been actively working to create legislation to benefit the industry in states including Kansas and Texas.

Mr. Moses is not, however, actually independent. When he launched the Center for Long-Term Care Reform in 1998, he began actively soliciting the industry for contributions, stating “The long-term care insurance industry -- and LTC providers whose financial survival depends on the growth of private financing -- must take steps to encourage private sector solutions. The Center for Long-Term Financing is uniquely positioned to promote this effort." He also boasted, "the Center increases long-term care insurance sales remarkably" and he has touted his appearance as an impartial expert claiming, "our established credibility as an independent third-party voice allows us to perform in essential roles that no one else can fill for reasons of perceived bias and self-interest."

In January 2008, Mr. Moses will begin a “National Long-Term Care Consciousness Tour.” The tour first focuses on the southeast, then moves to southwestern states, followed by the northeast, the midwest and finally the west coast. Details of the tour are available here. Mr. Moses has been soliciting corporate and organizational sponsorships to help him make the tour profitable. Part of the purpose of the tour is to make “political contacts with Governors, state legislators, city council members, Congressional representatives, state Insurance Commissioners, Medicaid directors and their staffs toward the end of improving long-term care public policy.”

By “improving long-term care public policy,” Mr. Moses really means working to increase the number of people purchasing of long-term care insurance. Mr. Moses has blamed government funding of Medicaid for the fact that the long-term care insurance market is not expanding as rapidly as insurers would like.

CREW's Melanie Sloan had this warning for state officials:

Any state insurance commissioners or Medicaid directors who meet with Mr. Moses should at least be aware that he is not an independent voice, but rather is paid to express the views of the long-term care insurance industry.

Last week, CREW asked Senator Charles Grassley to investigate "the activities of the Seattle-based Center for Long-Term Care Reform and the Center's director Stephen Moses. Moses has spent the past decade posing as an independent expert from a respected think tank that analyzes the need for long-term care insurance, but is in fact serving as a front for the long-term care industry."

Over the weekend, we got an email attacking CREW for asking for an investigation. The email came from Richard A. Schafer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here's an excerpt:

What a wonderful mistake you have made, accusing Stephen Moses of being a ”shill” for the insurance industry.

I do agree, however, that Stephen Moses does indeed warrant investigation. After all, he has unselfishly advocated for quality care for all Americans for a long time, it’s about time that he gets some recognition for his good work. Look very carefully at all that Mr. Moses does. Read his collection of daily Bullets, his articles, his classes, and then….honestly and forthrightly retract your heinous allegation that he is a shill for the insurance industry. Shame on you for being so reckless.

Your misdirected accusations will only shed light on the good work that Mr. Moses does. I look forward to the revelation, it is long overdue.

Well, Mr. Schafer is certainly a big fan of Stephen Moses and his work.  It is no coincidence that Mr. Schafer's email is from SchaferLTC (Schafer Long-Term Care).   You probably won't be surprised to know Mr. Schafer, as an owner of a long-term care business, Schafer Long-Term Care LLC, works closely with The Center for Long Term Care Reform. That's the very organization headed by Stephen Moses hat CREW wants investigated.

But, it's good to know Schafer has the industry on his side, as we suspected.  Clearly, Mr. Schafer shares our interest in an investigation. Hopefully, Mr. Schafer will get what he wants and his email will help to spur Senator Grassley to investigate Mr. Moses.

Today, CREW asked Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to investigate the activities of the Seattle-based Center for Long-Term Care Reform and the Center's director Stephen Moses. Our letter to Senator Grassley can be found here.

Following a March 2007 New York Times exposé indicating that many long-term care insurers are improperly denying claims, Sen. Grassley recently announced a probe into the long-term care insurance industry. CREW is asking that Sen. Grassley add Moses's activities to that investigation.

Moses has spent the past decade posing as an independent expert from a respected think tank that analyzes the need for long-term care insurance, but is in fact serving as a front for the long-term care industry.

According to his website, Moses has testified as an independent expert on long-term care before two-thirds of the nation’s state legislatures. He has been quoted in stories around the country and has been actively working to create legislation to benefit the industry in states including Kansas and Texas.

Moses is not, however, actually independent. When he launched the Center for Long-Term Care Reform in 1998, he began actively soliciting the industry for contributions, stating “The long-term care insurance industry -- and LTC providers whose financial survival spends on the growth of private financing -- must take steps to encourage private sector solutions. The Center for Long-Term Financing is uniquely positioned to promote this effort." and, "the Center increases long-term care insurance sales remarkably." He has touted his appearance as an impartial expert claiming, "our established credibility as an independent third-party voice allows us to perform in essential roles that no one else can fill for reasons of perceived bias and self-interest."

In January, 2008 Moses will begin a "National Long-Term Care Consciousness Tour," "...tak[ing] the Center's message of personal responsibility and rational LTC public policy to six regions of the country for two months each." Details on the "tour" are available at
here. On his website, Moses publicly thanks his industry donors or "National LTC Consciousness Tour Guides," for making the tour possible.

After sending the letter to Senator Grassley, CREW's Melanie Sloan said:

Stephen Moses is a far cry from an impartial authority; rather, he is a shill for the long-term care industry. Senator Grassley has a long history of working to improve the quality of long-term care services and CREW hopes he will take a hard look at Mr. Moses's activities.