Medicare and Aging: Nov. 16, 2023

Compensation Is Key to Fixing Primary Care Shortage
By Michelle Andrews Many proposals have been floated about how to address the nation’s primary care problem. They range from training slots to medical school debt forgiveness but often sidestep comprehensive payment reform.

US to Cover HIV Prevention Drugs for Older Americans to Stem Spread of the Virus
By Michael Scaturro The government has proposed that Medicare fully cover preexposure prophylaxis drugs that prevent HIV, a change that could help America catch up with nations in Europe and Africa that are on track to end new infections decades before the U.S. under its current approach.

Medicare Expands the Roster of Available Mental Health Professionals
By Judith Graham Medicare is expanding access to mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists come Jan. 1. But the belief that seniors who suffer from mental health problems should just grin and bear it remains a troubling barrier to care.

Tiny, Rural Hospitals Feel the Pinch as Medicare Advantage Plans Grow
By Sarah Jane Tribble More than half of seniors are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage plans instead of traditional Medicare. Rural enrollment has increased fourfold and many small-town hospitals say that threatens their viability.

Health Care ‘Game-Changer’? Feds Boost Care for Homeless Americans
By Angela Hart This month, the federal government started paying for treatments delivered outside hospitals and clinics, expanding funding for “street medicine” teams that treat homeless patients. California led the way on the change, which could help sick and vulnerable patients get healthy, sober, and, in some cases, into housing.

Doubts Abound About a New Alzheimer’s Blood Test
By Judith Graham Quest Diagnostics is selling a blood test online to consumers. But results may not be reliable or easy to interpret. And it isn’t covered by insurance.

Let’s Have an Honest Conversation About What to Expect as You Age
By Judith Graham A leading geriatrician says a lot of health information for older adults isn’t as useful as it should be. No person’s aging process looks exactly like another’s. So she’s written a guidebook.

A New Era of Vaccines Leaves Old Questions About Prices Unanswered
By Elisabeth Rosenthal The CDC’s RSV vaccination recommendations beg the question: How much should an immunization that will possibly be given to millions of Americans cost to be truly valuable?

Biden Pick to Lead Social Security Pledges Action on ‘Heartbreaking’ Clawbacks
By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group At a Senate confirmation hearing, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley said he would address hardships the Social Security agency has caused by demanding money back from beneficiaries.

What Long-Term Care Looks Like Around the World
By Jordan Rau Most countries spend more than the United States on care, but middle-class and affluent people still bear a substantial portion of the costs.

Nursing Homes Say They Can’t Afford Higher Staffing. But Their Finances Are Often Opaque.
By Jordan Rau Perhaps the biggest mystery, as the Biden administration moves to force nursing homes to boost staffing, is this: how much extra money do the nation’s 15,000 homes actually have to hire and retain more nurses and aides? Public comments are due Monday on the most sweeping regulatory changes to hit the industry in decades. The […]

Who Will Care for Older Adults? We’ve Plenty of Know-How but Too Few Specialists
By Judith Graham The principles and practices of geriatrics are being widely disseminated. And we understand much more now about how to improve older adults’ care. Yet we don’t have enough geriatricians to meet the growing demand.

Adult Children Discuss the Trials of Caring for Their Aging Parents
By Reed Abelson, The New York Times and Jordan Rau The financial and emotional toll of providing and paying for long-term care is wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans. Read about how a few families are navigating the challenges, in their own words.

Senators Demand Answers From Social Security on Clawbacks Tied to Covid Relief
By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group Covid relief payments weren’t supposed to cost people their Social Security benefits, but some recipients say they did. Senators want to know why.

Facing Financial Ruin as Costs Soar for Elder Care
By Reed Abelson, The New York Times and Jordan Rau The United States has no coherent system of long-term care, leading many to struggle to stay independent or rely on a patchwork of solutions.

What the Health? From KFF Health News: The Open Enrollment Mixing Bowl
Open enrollment for Medicare beneficiaries with private health plans began Oct. 15, to be followed Nov. 1 by open enrollment for Affordable Care Act plans. The selection for both is large — often too large to be navigated easily alone. And people who choose incorrectly can end up with unaffordable medical bills. Meanwhile, those on both sides of the abortion issue are looking to Ohio’s November ballot measure on abortion to see whether anti-abortion forces can break their losing streak in statewide ballot questions since the overturn of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Medicare amplía su lista de profesionales de salud mental 
By Judith Graham Los prejuicios sobre las afecciones mentales y la discriminación por edad hacen que algunos profesionales no tomen en serio el sufrimiento de las personas mayores, profundizando las barreras de acceso a la atención.

Una charla necesaria: qué le ocurre al cuerpo y la mente a medida que se envejece
By Judith Graham El envejecimiento altera a las personas por décadas, un largo período influenciado por circunstancias sociales y económicas, conductas, el lugar en donde se vive, y otros factores. E impacta en la fisiología, pero no de manera uniforme para todos.

Prevención del VIH: proponen que Medicare cubra PrEP para adultos mayores
By Michael Scaturro Según el plan de la administración Biden, Medicare cubriría el costo total de los medicamentos de profilaxis previa a la exposición, que previenen la transmisión del VIH.