Medicare & Aging: October 18, 2018
Medicare For All? CMS Chief Warns Program Has Enough Problems Already
Phil Galewitz
Seema Verma, who heads the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, tells private insurance officials that a push by some Democrats to expand Medicare would only increase troubles the program already faces.
Medicare Advantage Riding High As New Insurers Flock To Sell To Seniors
Phil Galewitz
The private health plans that are an alternative to government-run Medicare continue to grow despite the Affordable Care Act’s cuts of billions of dollars in funding.
Who Knew? Life Begins (Again) At 65
Bruce Horovitz
Turning 65 is far more life-changing than turning 21 ever was.
Dementia And Guns: When Should Doctors Broach The Topic?
Melissa Bailey
As the number of Americans with dementia rises, health professionals grapple with how to talk to patients about gun safety at home.
Will Maine Voters Decide To Make Aging In Place Affordable?
Judith Graham
A ballot initiative in Maine proposes that free home care services be available to all residents who need help with at least “one daily activity.”
Doctors Give Medicare’s Proposal To Pay For Telemedicine Poor Prognosis
Phil Galewitz
Federal officials are proposing that Medicare pay doctors for a 10-minute “check-in” call with beneficiaries. But many doctors already do this for free, and the plan would require a cost-sharing charge of many patients.
Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk To Doctors
Phil Galewitz
Some private Medicare Advantage plans are offering large physician-management companies more money upfront and control of their patients’ care, but the doctors are responsible for staying within the budget.
Feds Settle Huge Whistleblower Suit Over Medicare Advantage Fraud
Fred Schulte
A DaVita subsidiary will pay $270 million over allegations that it cheated the federal government for years.
Medicare Eases Readmission Penalties Against Safety-Net Hospitals
Jordan Rau
Penalties will total $566 million for all hospitals. But many that serve a large share of low-income patients will lose less money than they did in previous years.
Day-Tripping To The Dispensary: Seniors In Pain Hop Aboard The Canna-Bus
Stephanie O'Neill
Marijuana dispensaries are reaching out to seniors seeking help with the aches and pains of aging. They're discovering an array of products, and some interesting side effects.
New Medicare Advantage Tool To Lower Drug Prices Puts Crimp In Patients’ Choices
Susan Jaffe
Federal officials are allowing the private insurance plans to use “step therapy” for drugs administered by doctors. In step therapy, patients must first use cheaper drugs to see if they work before receiving more expensive options.
Doctor To The Stars Disciplined Over Use Of Controversial Menopause Therapy
Barbara Feder Ostrov
Dr. Prudence Hall has made a name for herself in the field of “bioidentical hormones” — plant-based compounds purportedly customized for each patient’s needs. Experts say the popular approach is unproven; California regulators say she was grossly negligent in her care of two patients.
Assisted Living Kicks Out The Frail ’Cause ‘We Can’t Take Care Of You Any Longer’
Judith Graham
Is there anything families can do to fight these evictions?
Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send Thousands Of Seniors To Gruesome Deaths
Fred Schulte and Elizabeth Lucas and Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune
No one tracks sepsis cases closely enough to know how often these severe infections turn fatal. But the toll — both human and financial — is enormous, finds an investigation by KHN and the Chicago Tribune.
Watch: What Is Sepsis?
What exactly is sepsis, and why is it so dangerous? Who is most vulnerable? And what are the signs? KHN explains in this video.
Creating Rituals To Honor The Dead At Long-Term Care Facilities
Judith Graham
Death and its companion, grief, are often ignored at nursing homes and assisted living centers. Yet ignoring the loss can lead to depression, staff burnout and other problems.
HHS Watchdog To Probe Enforcement Of Nursing Home Staffing Standards
Jordan Rau
The study follows a Kaiser Health News and New York Times investigation that found nearly 1,400 nursing homes have reported fewer registered nurses on duty than Medicare requires or failed to provide reliable staffing information to the government.
For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
Liz Szabo
A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.
The Doctors Want In: Democratic Docs Talk Health Care On The Campaign Trail
Shefali Luthra
Among candidates running for Congress in upcoming elections are a smattering of left-leaning physicians who present a stark contrast to the predominantly Republican physicians currently in office.
Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care
JoNel Aleccia
Up to two-thirds of residents in nursing homes may have impacted earwax, which can worsen hearing loss, falls and cognitive decline.
A Late-Life Surprise: Taking Care Of Frail, Aging Parents
Judith Graham
More and more older adults, age 60 and older, care for their elderly parents and face physical, emotional and financial stress.
The Man Who Sold America On Vitamin D — And Profited In The Process
Liz Szabo
The doctor most responsible for turning the sunshine supplement into a billion-dollar juggernaut has received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the vitamin D industry, according to government records and interviews.