Medicare Surprise: Drug Plan Prices Touted During Open Enrollment Can Rise Within a Month
Even the savviest Medicare drug plan shoppers can get a shock when they fill prescriptions: That great deal on medications is no bargain after prices go up.
Aging
321 - 340 of 1,284 Results
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KHNs What the Health?: More Covid Complications for Congress
Congress is back in session, but covid diagnoses for Vice President Kamala Harris and two Democratic senators have temporarily left the Senate without a working majority to approve continued covid funding. Meanwhile, opponents of the Affordable Care Act have filed yet another lawsuit challenging a portion of the law, and we say goodbye to the late Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who left a long legacy of health laws. Rachel Cohrs of STAT News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHNs Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
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Advance Care Planning for Guns: Owners Can Help Ensure Safe Use and Transfer of Weapons
Colorado researchers publish a tool to help gun owners and family members plan ahead for safe firearm use and transfers in the event of disability or death.
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Washington State Retools First-in-the-Nation Long-Term Care Benefit
The WA Cares Fund program, which would provide workers in the state a lifetime benefit of $36,500, was set to begin collecting money through a payroll tax in January, but it was delayed while lawmakers made adjustments to address equity problems. Now the payroll deductions will begin in July 2023, and benefits will become available in 2026.
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KHNs What the Health?: News You Might Have Missed
Congress is in recess, so the slower-than-average news week gives us a chance to catch up on underreported topics, like Medicares coverage decision for the controversial Alzheimers disease drug Aduhelm and ominous new statistics on drug overdose deaths and sexually transmitted diseases. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHNs Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
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Private Equity Ownership of Nursing Homes Triggers Capitol Hill Questions And a GAO Probe
In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden decried these financial arrangements, which two members of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee had already asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate.
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Its Your Choice: You Can Change Your Views of Aging and Improve Your Life
Becca Levy of Yale University talks with Navigating Aging columnist Judith Graham about how people can alter ingrained perceptions of aging which are often formed unconsciously and are unrecognized.
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Why Black and Hispanic Seniors Are Left With a Less Powerful Flu Vaccine
Federal health officials havent taken a clear position on whether a high-dose influenza vaccine on the market since 2010 is the best choice for people 65 and older. Many in that group already opt for the costlier enhanced shot. Those who get the standard vaccine are disproportionately members of ethnic and racial minorities.
By Arthur Allen -
As US Nears 1 Million Covid Deaths, One Hard-Hit County Grapples With Unthinkable Loss
The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from covid an almost incomprehensible number of lives lost that few thought possible when the pandemic began. Pennsylvanias Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community, with over 300 dead, is coping.
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KHNs What the Health?: Funding for the Next Pandemic
In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesnt include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid-19. Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people 50 and older yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when. Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHNs Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHNs Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR Bill of the Month episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.
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The Danger Is Still There As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters
Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members.
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Senators Ask GAO to Examine Medicaids Low Covid Vaccination Rates
Sens. Robert Casey Jr. and Ron Wyden want a probe into what barriers are keeping Medicaid plans from reaching enrollees.
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To Families Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesnt View Them as Essential Caregivers
Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.
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Medicare Advantage Plans Send Pals to Seniors Homes for Companionship And Profits
Many Medicare Advantage plans send caregivers to the homes of seniors periodically to help with housework and provide companionship. But the workers may also prod seniors into activities that boost the plans Medicare ratings and federal reimbursements.
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Despite Seniors Strong Desire to Age in Place, the Village Model Remains a Boutique Option
Membership-based villages help arrange services for seniors such as handyman help or transportation to appointments and provide social connections through classes, leisure opportunities, or community events. Despite great promise, they have been slow to expand because of difficulties raising funding and keeping people interested.
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Patients Divided Over Alzheimers Drug: Is It a Risk Im Willing to Take or Just a Magic Pill?
Medicare has proposed limiting coverage of Aduhelm, the costly new drug to treat Alzheimers disease, and several prominent groups representing patients and their families are pressing the program to make it more widely available. But among individuals facing the disease, the outlook is more nuanced.
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Seeking to Shift Costs to Medicare, More Employers Move Retirees to Advantage Plans
Private and public employers are increasingly using the governments Medicare Advantage program as an alternative to their existing retiree health plan and traditional Medicare coverage. As a result, the federal government is paying the overwhelming majority of medical costs, according to an industry analyst.
By Susan Jaffe -
Biden Pledges Better Nursing Home Care, but He Likely Wont Fast-Track It
CMS chief Chiquita Brooks-LaSure says the agency reserves its power to quickly institute new regulations for absolute emergencies. On staffing, nursing home residents might need to wait years to see any real change.
By Rachana Pradhan and Harris Meyer -
Bidens Promise of Better Nursing Home Care Will Require Many More Workers
The president wants to set minimum staffing levels for the beleaguered nursing home industry. But, given a lack of transparency surrounding the industrys finances, its a mystery how facilities will shoulder the added costs.
By Jordan Rau -
Watch: Seniors Share How They’ve Made It Through the Pandemic
Nine seniors from across the country talk frankly about feeling alone and constrained, missing church, and family routines. They also share newfound hope and discoveries that arose from the crisis.