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Feature Articles:
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Have you ever looked at images of Moosehaven (click on image for details) -- the beautiful Florida retirement community that you help make possible--and think that it seems wonderful, but that you don’t want to surrender all your assets to qualify? Well, now you have another option:
‘Pay As You Go’
By KURT WEHRMEISTER
> ‘I had no idea it was this nice, this beautiful,” are words that have been murmured by hundreds if not thousands of Moose members over the years, when for the first time--be it a few months after they have joined, or many years--they visit the Moosehaven retirement community, in Florida’s northeast corner at Orange Park, just south of Jacksonville.
With members approaching their 60s and 70s especially, one can see their eyes light up as they look at the accommodations, the recreational facilities, the palmettos lining the blue shoreline of the broad St. Johns River--and they envision themselves enjoying the beauty, the ease and security (including full health care) at Moosehaven on an everyday basis.
However, these follow-up words have been heard almost as often over the years: “But, boy, that’d be tough . . .”
And, it’s never been a big secret what that meant: They’d love to live at Moosehaven, but didn’t want to face the traditional admission requirement--that of turning over all of a couple’s assets--automobiles, pension, bank and stock holdings if any, plus any interest in real estate.
For all but the very earliest of its history, that’s been the deal at Moosehaven: If you’ve turned 65 (at least the member spouse has), and you’ve been a member for at least 15 consecutive years, you can come live here for the rest of your life--but you must turn over all your holdings. Many Moose members have come to Moosehaven with less than $5,000 in assets to their name, and have lived in happy comfort for another decade or more--not owing another dime.
But, we also know that many more--an increasing number in recent years--have seriously considered Moosehaven, but ultimately decided against it, because they had amassed a modest, or more sizeable, estate that they wanted to leave their children and grandchildren.
Understandable, thought former Director General Donald Ross, which is why he and the Moose fraternity’s Supreme Council decided, nearly five years ago, to explore and formulate a new Moosehaven arrangement: Pay As You Go.
Ross formed a Moosehaven “Pay-As-You-Go” exploratory team to research and structure such a plan, beginning in early 2000. Since then, this team conducted a survey of selected Moose members as to potential interest; then commissioned an actuarial study--to analyze overall Moosehaven population projections, costs, pricing and living arrangements relative to other similar retirement communities, future revenue needs, and other factors.
The result of those studies is a plan to create two new Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) scenarios of Moosehaven admissions; two new segments of residents--both of which were approved this winter by the Moosehaven Board of Directors and the Moose fraternity’s Supreme Council. (Both new categories must meet traditional admission requirements: one spouse at least age 65, must be a member in good standing now and for at least 15 consecutive years prior to admission, and must be walking and self-sufficient as to personal needs, at admission.)
The first new PAYG segment of Moosehaven residents would co-exist among current residents, in all existing regular residence halls (not assisted care) --but instead of turning over all assets at admission as in the past, would pay an upfront fee ($100,000 for singles, $150,000 for couples), plus an all-inclusive monthly fee ($1,040 for singles, $1,578 for couples). As with traditional residents, they would enjoy all meals served cafeteria style in their own residences; if and when needed, they would be admitted to the LifeCare Center and would have all medical needs attended to.
The second PAYG segment will--for at least the near future--be limited to eight couples or singles, to be housed in Moosehaven’s first fully-furnished, self-contained apartments, to be known as the Legion Townhomes, built within the existing Moose Legion Residence. Once commitments have been received for four units, this 1959 structure will be thoroughly retrofitted into eight apartments, per the plans shown on these two pages--ranging in size from 906-1,104 sq. ft., each with a living/dining area, full kitchen, master bedroom, den, full bath, washer/dryer, and a covered porch. Also included will be exterior parking area for Legion Townhome residents to keep and use their own automobiles, with ingress/egress from River Road on the St. Johns River shoreline.
Here, the upfront fee will be $246,000 for singles, $307,000 for couples, with monthly fees of $2,250 for singles, $3,375 for couples. This plan will include one delivered dinner per person, per day (presumably residents will prepare the other two meals in their kitchen). Otherwise, full care will be provided, same as with all other residents.
Moosehaven Executive Director Faye Stevens notes that the PAYG upfront fees and monthly rates are considerably lower than similar retirement-center offerings throughout north Florida. “The monthly fees are a lot less,” she adds. “And, we do urge our members to shop and compare.”
Stevens said that Moosehaven residents have been “very well briefed” on the two new PAYG plans, “and have been very supportive . . . they know that it should bring more residents to Moosehaven, and that it will bolster the campus financially.”
Much thought has been given, Stevens assured, to the potential sociological impact of introducing residents with differing situations onto the Moosehaven campus. But, for the forthcoming PAYG-program residents coming into existing campus residences, “there will be no difference in the way they live, or are treated . . . indeed, there’ll be no reason for anyone except the Finance Department to know whether a new resident is ‘traditional’ or under the PAYG plan,” she said.
More information on progress in the PAYG program will follow, at the 2006 International Convention and in the months to come; meanwhile, questions can be directed to:
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Please click on any photograph below to view a larger image.
Moosehaven is NOT abandoning its ‘traditional’ plan in favor of all ‘Pay As You Go’ residents:
The target is to have no more than 25% under the new arrangement.
Whether under the Traditional plan or Pay-As-You-Go, ALL incoming residents must still meet traditional admission requirements:
Age 65 with at least 15 consecutive years of Moose membership. |
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For a look at the Townhome Apartments, click here:
Coming, a Moosehaven First: Townhome Apartments in the Legion Residence
> The Legion Residence, built in 1959, has been designated a “pay-as-you-go” prototype townhome apartment residence for members willing to pay the $246,000 singles/$307,000 couples entrance fee, and a monthly fee (covering all expenses) of $2,250 for singles, $3,375 for couples. Each of eight apartments will have a bedroom, den, private bath, kitchen, covered porch and washer/dryer. Retrofitting work on this $2.1 million project will start when commitments are received for the first four units.
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The New Moosehaven Options, and Numbers
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(effective 5/1/06)
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| TRADITIONAL: All Assets--But No Minimum |
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Entrance Fee |
Monthly |
| Singles: |
All assets |
All Soc. Sec. income |
| Couples: |
All assets |
All Soc. Sec. income |
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(no matter how small or large) |
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PAY AS YOU GO: Existing Residences |
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Entrance Fee |
Monthly |
| Singles: |
$100,000 |
$1040 |
| Couples: |
$150,000 |
$1578 |
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(living arrangements SAME as Traditional plan) |
| PAY AS YOU GO: Legion Townhome Apts. |
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Entrance Fee |
Monthly |
| Singles: |
$246,000 |
$2250 |
| Couples: |
$307,000 |
$3375 |
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(full-feature apartments; residents can keep autos) |
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