Medicare & Aging: April 27, 2023

Congressman Seeks to Plug ‘Shocking Loophole’ Exposed by KHN Investigation
By Sarah Jane Tribble A federal lawmaker has introduced a House bill that would close one of a laundry list of oversight gaps revealed in a recent KHN investigation of the system regulators use to ban fraudsters from billing government health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

As US Life Expectancy Falls, Experts Cite the Health Impacts of Incarceration
By Fred Clasen-Kelly In a nation with one of the highest incarceration rates in the world, imprisonment speeds the aging process, research shows. Some experts complain the federal government isn’t collecting or releasing data that could identify disease patterns and prevent deaths.

The Rate of Older Californians Dying of Malnutrition Has Accelerated
By Phillip Reese Californians 85 and older are especially susceptible to malnutrition. They accounted for almost three in five malnutrition deaths in the state last year.

Fatigue Is Common Among Older Adults, and It Has Many Possible Causes
By Judith Graham Persistent fatigue — the feeling of having no energy — can contribute to frailty and affects 40% to 74% of older patients with chronic illness. Yet its causes can be elusive.

Aumenta el número de californianos mayores que muere por desnutrición
By Phillip Reese Las muertes atribuidas a la desnutrición aumentaron más del doble, de unas 650 en 2018 a aproximadamente 1,400 en 2022, según datos preliminares de certificados de defunción del Departamento de Salud Pública estatal.