Medicare Advantage Plans Shift Their Financial Risk To Doctors
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
A DaVita subsidiary will pay $270 million over allegations that it cheated the federal government for years.
Readers And Tweeters Slice And Dice Precision Medicine, Step Therapy
Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.
The Storm Within: Protecting Loved Ones With Dementia During Florence
For families living with dementia, natural disasters can be particularly terrifying, heightening confusion, disorientation, anxiety and paranoia.
Day-Tripping To The Dispensary: Seniors In Pain Hop Aboard The Canna-Bus
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.
Trying To Protect Seniors, The Most Vulnerable, From Formidable Foe Florence
With Hurricane Florence predicted to slam the Southeast’s coastline Friday, health officials scramble to dodge the storm and keep older residents safe.
Doctor To The Stars Disciplined Over Use Of Controversial Menopause Therapy
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’
Is there anything families can do to fight these evictions?
What exactly is sepsis, and why is it so dangerous? Who is most vulnerable? And what are the signs? KHN explains in this video.
Avoidable Sepsis Infections Send Thousands Of Seniors To Gruesome Deaths
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.
Crear rituales para honrar a los muertos en los centros de vida asistida
Nuevos programas de ayuda abordan un problema pocas veces tratado: el dolor de amigos de residencia y personal cuando muere un adulto mayor en un centro de vida asistida.
Creating Rituals To Honor The Dead At Long-Term Care Facilities
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
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.
Más que nada, la cera en los oídos genera riesgos para adultos mayores en hogares
La cera excesiva en los oídos de los adultos mayores puede causar sordera, vértigo y otros problemas en el conducto auditivo.
For Nursing Home Patients, Breast Cancer Surgery May Do More Harm Than Good
A new study of 6,000 older patients shows little gain from surgeries for breast cancer.
Earwax, Of All Things, Poses Unrecognized Risk In Long-Term Care
Up to two-thirds of residents in nursing homes may have impacted earwax, which can worsen hearing loss, falls and cognitive decline.
La última sorpresa de la vida: adultos mayores que deben cuidar de sus padres
Con tratamientos médicos que prolongan cada vez más la vida, un nuevo escenario genera preguntas: adultos mayores de 60 o 70 años que deben atender a sus padres nonagenarios.
A Late-Life Surprise: Taking Care Of Frail, Aging Parents
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
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.
Mining A New Data Set To Pinpoint Critical Staffing Issues In Skilled Nursing Facilities
Low staffing is a root cause of many injuries in nursing homes. Kaiser Health News senior correspondent Jordan Rau explains how he connected the dots between manpower and risk at facilities nationwide, using a federal tool known as the Payroll-Based Journal.
