MedicareAging0224

4 Vital Health Issues — Not Tied to Covid — That Congress Addressed in Massive Spending Bill
By Emmarie Huetteman
Lawmakers answered pleas from strained health facilities in rural areas, agreed to cover the cost of training more new doctors, sought to strengthen efforts to equalize mental health coverage with that of physical medicine and instructed the federal government to collect data that could be used to rein in high medical bills.

Montana’s Health Policy MVP Takes Her Playbook on the Road
By Dan Gorenstein and Leslie Walker
Marilyn Bartlett, credited with saving Montana’s state employee health plan millions of dollars, is a busy consultant now, as states, counties and big businesses try to use her playbook to bring down hospital costs.

Look Up Your Hospital: Is It Being Penalized by Medicare?
By Jordan Rau
Each year, Medicare punishes hospitals that have high rates of readmissions and high rates of infections and patient injuries. Check out which hospitals have been penalized.

At Colorado’s Rural Edges, Vaccines Help Assisted Living Homes Crack Open the Doors
By Rae Ellen Bichell
Amid the disorganization and confusion of the vaccine distribution, smaller communities may have an advantage. In some long-term care facilities where vaccination is underway, things are looking up.

Older Adults Without Family or Friends Lag in Race to Get Vaccines
By Judith Graham
Public health officials have singled out seniors as key candidates for the covid-19 vaccines but too many of these seniors are not able to get shots because they don’t use computers, don’t have internet services or transportation, or don’t have someone to help them with the process.

Adultos mayores sin familia o amigos quedan atrás en la carrera por vacunarse
By Judith Graham
Aunque los datos no están ajustados por edad, los adultos mayores de color han tenido muchas más probabilidades de enfermarse gravemente y morir de covid que los adultos mayores caucásicos

‘Cruel’ Digital Race For Vaccines Leaves Many Seniors Behind
By Will Stone
Glitchy websites, jammed phone lines and long lines outside clinics are commonplace as states expand who’s eligible to be vaccinated. The oldest Americans and those without caregivers and computer skills are at a distinct disadvantage.

After Nearly 60 Years of Marriage, This Missouri Couple Stayed Together to the End
By Cara Anthony
Arthur and Maggie Kelley of St. Louis died 30 days apart. Maggie died of complications of dementia in November. Arthur, who had moved into her nursing home to be with her, died a month later of covid. Their family held a double funeral.

Countless Homebound Patients Still Wait for Covid Vaccine Despite Seniors’ Priority
By Judith Graham
Health organizations have begun sending doctors and nurses to apartment buildings and private homes to vaccinate homebound seniors, but the efforts are slow and spotty.

Vaccine Hesitancy vs. Vaccine Refusal: Nursing Home Staffers Say There’s a Difference
By Aneri Pattani
It’s becoming increasingly clear that decision-making about the covid vaccine is complicated and multifaceted, which means persuading people to say yes will be, too.

Family Caregivers, Routinely Left Off Vaccine Lists, Worry What Would Happen ‘If I Get Sick’
By Judith Graham
Tens of thousands of middle-aged sons and daughters — too young to qualify for a vaccine — care for older relatives with serious ailments and want to get the shots to protect their loved ones and themselves.

Companies Pan for Marketing Gold in Vaccines
By Sarah Kwon
Some assisted living facilities, pharmacy chains and health care providers are luring new customers with covid shots.

Medicare Cuts Payment to 774 Hospitals Over Patient Complications
By Jordan Rau
Renowned medical centers are among the quarter of general hospitals that will lose 1% of Medicare payments for one year because their patients have high rates of bedsores, sepsis and other preventable complications.

California Aims to Address the ‘Urgent’ Needs of Older Residents. But Will Its Plan Work?
By Samantha Young
State officials recently unveiled a “master plan” to address the needs of California’s rapidly aging population, from housing to long-term care. Kim McCoy Wade, director of the state Department of Aging, vows it will not end up on a shelf gathering dust.