Medicare & Aging 050620
Furor Erupts: Billions Going To Hospitals Based On Medicare Billings, Not COVID-19
Jay Hancock and Phil Galewitz and Elizabeth Lucas
In the first round of emergency relief, some states will get more than $300,000 per COVID-19 patient, while hard-hit New York gets just $12,000 per patient.
To ‘Keep The Lights On,’ Doctors And Hospitals Ask For Advance Medicare Payments
Phil Galewitz
As part of the federal response to the coronavirus crisis, Medicare is offering to give hospitals and doctors accelerated payments.
Coronavirus Fuels Explosive Growth In Telehealth ― And Concern About Fraud
Fred Schulte
“Unscrupulous providers” could take advantage of the boom in treatment delivered via voice or video calls.
Readers And Tweeters Stay At Home And Stay In Touch With KHN
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
Biden’s Incremental Medicare Play For Bernie’s Backers
Julie Rovner
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate unveils a proposal to lower the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 60.
Retiree-Rich Palm Beach County Leads Florida In COVID-19 Deaths
Phil Galewitz
The coronavirus death toll in Palm Beach County — home to President Donald Trump’s palatial home and club, Mar-a-Lago ― is the highest in Florida, where the large senior population is at risk.
COVID-19 Crisis Threatens Beleaguered Assisted Living Industry
Laura Ungar and Jay Hancock
The Capital Senior Living chain of assisted living communities and others like it were struggling financially before coronavirus suddenly appeared. Now their situation is really getting tough.
What Does Recovery From COVID-19 Look Like? It Depends. A Pulmonologist Explains.
Judith Graham
Reports offer a glimmer of hope, especially for older adults.
In Shutting Out Threat, Seniors In Continuing Care Communities Feel Shut In
Judith Graham
For older adults in retirement communities ― a population especially vulnerable to COVID-19 — striking a balance between reducing the risk of contracting the coronavirus and maintaining the quality of life is a new frontier.
Seniors With COVID-19 Show Unusual Symptoms, Doctors Say
Judith Graham
Older bodies respond to infection in different ways. Seniors may sleep more or stop eating. They may be confused or dizzy. They might simply collapse.
‘I Wasn’t Eating’: Senior Twin Sisters Battle Pandemic Anxiety Together
Cara Anthony
Twins Edna Mayes and Ethel Sylvester, 92, are relying on each other through the pandemic, in which one of the hidden dangers is to their mental health.
COVID-Plagued California Nursing Homes Often Had Problems In Past
Jordan Rau and Anna Almendrala
Nursing homes with COVID-19 infections tend to violate health rules more often and have more complaints and fines, records show. But infections also plague highly rated facilities — while sparing some low-ranked ones.
Palliative Care Helped Family Face ‘The Awful, Awful Truth’
Will Stone
Elizabeth and Robert Mar would have celebrated 50 years of marriage in August. Instead, they died within a day of each other. Their two very different deaths illustrate how palliative care is changing to help patients and families cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
Médicos dicen que los adultos mayores con COVID-19 presentan síntomas inusuales
Judith Graham
Los adultos mayores, el grupo de edad de alto riesgo de sufrir complicaciones graves o morir por esta condición, podrían no mostrar ninguno de estos síntomas.