KHN Medicare & Aging News

Coming Full Circle, Doulas Cradle The Dying
By Bruce Horovitz Traditionally there for mothers giving birth, a doula’s role has evolved to comforting seniors facing death.

To Help Ward Off Alzheimer’s, Think Before You Eat
By Judith Graham Good nutrition has been linked to a boost in senior citizens’ cognitive skills.

Boomerang Seniors: Aging Adults Move To Be Near Mom Or Dad
By Sharon Jayson Some older adults are living in the same senior communities as their parents, which streamlines caretaking in the end-of-life years.

Want To Live Past 100? Centenarians Share Secrets Of Knee Bends And Nips Of Scotch
By Sharon Jayson The ranks of 100-year-olds doubles every eight years, but researchers still puzzle over the ingredients of longevity.

Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Alleging Massive Medicare Fraud By UnitedHealth
By Fred Schulte The Department of Justice is joining a whistleblower lawsuit in a fraud case against UnitedHealth in which damages could top $1 billion.

‘Pre-Hospice’ Saves Money By Keeping People At Home Near The End Of Life
By Anna Gorman Photos by Heidi de Marco A San Diego program helps chronically ill people avoid the hospital by teaching them how to better manage their diseases and telling them what to expect in their final years. Other health providers and insurers around the country are trying similar approaches.

Video Help Is On Way For Family Caregivers Who Must Draw Blood Or Give Injections
By Judith Graham Medical experts around the country are rolling out instructional videos for family caregivers who need help with challenging medical tasks.

By Law, Hospitals Now Must Tell Medicare Patients When Care Is ‘Observation’ Only
By Susan Jaffe Not being officially admitted — a status known as observation care — can have financial consequences for beneficiaries, and patients had often complained they were not informed.

A Playbook For Managing Problems In The Last Chapter Of Your Life
By Judith Graham Many people age 75 or older can take steps to avoid a crisis in the remaining years of their lives.

Trump, Dems Look For Common Ground On Drug Prices
By Sarah Jane Tribble Two Democratic congressmen met with President Trump to seek his support for a bill to expand the government’s ability to negotiate drug prices, but it’s not clear it would have much impact or will gain support.

Dentistry Advocates Aim To Fill Medicare Gaps
By Phil Galewitz Brushing aside a political climate that favors federal cuts in health care spending, advocates for oral health are pushing to expand Medicare to provide America’s elderly with dental benefits.

For Some Hospice Patients, A 911 Call Saves A Trip To The ER
By Charlotte Huff Hospice groups are teaming up with specially trained paramedics to deal with common problems that worried patients or families incorrectly think need hospital care.

Geriatricians Can Help Aging Patients Navigate Multiple Ailments
By Judith Graham Aging adults with complex needs can get special assistance from doctors trained as geriatricians.

ER Visits Linked To Falls Spike Among California Seniors
By Anna Gorman State data show a rise of nearly 40 percent in fall-related visits from 2010 to 2015, a period in which the elderly population grew about 21 percent.

Docs In Northwest Tweak Aid-In-Dying Drugs To Prevent Prolonged Deaths
By JoNel Aleccia Some terminal patients, typically high-dose opioid users, who choose to end their lives have taken many hours, even days, to die.

‘Tsunami’ Of Alzheimer’s Cases Among Latinos Raises Concerns Over Costs, Caregiving
By Ana B. Ibarra and Heidi de Marco The number of U.S. Latinos with the memory-robbing disease is expected to rise more than eightfold by 2060 to 3.5 million.

Docs Bill Medicare For End-Of-Life Advice As ‘Death Panel’ Fears Reemerge
By JoNel Aleccia The federal program paid $16 million in the first six months of 2016 to counsel 223,000 patients about treatment preferences in their last days.

Death Doesn’t Have To Be So Scary
By Bruce Horovitz Taking time to discuss the inevitable can help conquer a universal fear.

New Federal Rules Will Require Home Health Agencies To Do Much More For Patients
By Judith Graham The first overhaul of federal regulations in almost 30 years for home health care agencies will require them to be much more responsive to what aging patients and their caregivers need or want.

Laughing Until You Die
By Bruce Horovitz Humor may be an antidote for the pain of death for both patients and survivors.