Aging Archives - Page 23 of 66

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Un-Trumping the ACA

The Biden administration is moving to undo many of the changes the Trump administration made to the enrollment process for the Affordable Care Act to encourage more people to sign up for health insurance. Meanwhile, Congress is opening investigations into the controversial approval by the Food and Drug Administration of an expensive drug that might (or might not) slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Kimberly Leonard of Insider and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Marshall Allen of ProPublica about his new book, “Never Pay the First Bill: And Other Ways to Fight the Health Care System and Win.”

July 1, 2021

Desperate for Home Care, Seniors Often Wait Months With Workers in Short Supply

The covid pandemic and President Joe Biden's agenda — a planned $400 billion infusion of support — have focused national attention on the need to expand home- and community-based long-term care services designed to keep people out of nursing homes. But the need far outpaces the staffing.

By Phil Galewitz

June 30, 2021

Navigating Aging

Calming Computer Jitters: Help for Seniors Who Aren’t Tech-Savvy

Millions of older adults want to be comfortable going online and using digital tools to enhance their lives. But many need help. A number of groups around the country offer assistance.

By Judith Graham

June 24, 2021

portrait of Dr. Eric Berger standing in his pediatric practice

COVID-19

The Hard Realities of a ‘No Jab, No Job’ Mandate for Health Care Workers

Despite a hearts-and-minds campaign and millions spent in incentives, managers struggle to get staffs vaccinated against covid. Some workers have threatened to quit over the pressure to get a shot, which employers can’t afford.

By Christine Spolar

June 18, 2021

The Spinal Tap

Device Makers Have Funneled Billions to Orthopedic Surgeons Who Use Their Products

Federal officials say that some of the money changing hands has corrupted doctors and endangered patients.

By Fred Schulte and Elizabeth Lucas

June 17, 2021

COVID-19

Unvaccinated, Homebound and Now Hospitalized With Covid in New York City

Across the country, doctors report that those hospitalized with covid now are largely unvaccinated. New York City lags the rest of the nation in vaccinating people 65 and older, and its efforts to reach the homebound and disabled have been late in coming and disorganized.

By Fred Mogul

June 16, 2021

Violent Colorado Arrest Puts Spotlight on How Police Treat Disabled People

Criminal charges filed against two officers who injured a Colorado woman with dementia don’t address the fact that police often lack the skills to effectively deal with suspects with mental disabilities.

By Leigh Paterson

June 15, 2021

Female doctor using smart phone computer desk in clinic

Doctor on Call? Lawmakers Debate How Much to Pay for Phone Appointments

Phone visits became an option for many Medicare and Medicaid patients during the pandemic. Now policymakers are deciding whether they’re worth the money.

By Rachel Bluth

June 11, 2021

Podcast

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Our 200th Episode!

The federal approval of a controversial drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease has reignited the debate over drug prices and the way the Food and Drug Administration makes decisions. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden seeks to gain goodwill overseas as he announces the U.S. will provide 500 million doses of covid vaccine to international health efforts. Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Joanne Kenen of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also, Rovner interviews Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. And to mark the podcast’s 200th episode, the panelists discuss what has surprised them most and least over the past four years.

June 10, 2021

Zooming Into the Statehouse: Nursing Home Residents Use New Digital Skills to Push for Changes

Connecticut residents who learned how to communicate with family and friends through digital technology when their nursing homes closed to visitors last year used that skill to testify remotely during legislative hearings on bills affecting them.

By Susan Jaffe

June 9, 2021

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure testifies before Congress

Expanding Insurance Coverage Is Top Priority for New Medicare-Medicaid Chief

Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the administration will focus on getting more people insured and is interested in finding a way to alleviate the gap keeping low-income families in states that haven’t expanded Medicaid from enrolling in Affordable Care Act health plans.

By Julie Rovner

June 3, 2021

Letters to the Editor

Readers and Tweeters React to Racism, Inequities in Health Care

Kaiser Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

June 2, 2021

Data Visualizations

Caring for an Aging Nation

The number of Americans 65 and older is expected to nearly double in the next 40 years. Finding a way to provide and pay for the long-term health services they need won't be easy.

By Lydia Zuraw and Carmen Heredia Rodriguez

May 28, 2021

Is Your Living Room the Future of Hospital Care?

In the latest sign that in-home acute care is catching on, two big players — Kaiser Permanente and the Mayo Clinic — announced plans to collectively invest $100 million into the company Medically Home to help scale up their programs.

By Julie Appleby

May 24, 2021

Navigating Aging

Tips for Older Adults to Regain Their Game After Being Cooped Up for More Than a Year

Experts offer advice on how seniors struggling with physical, emotional and cognitive challenges following a year of being cooped up can address issues such as muscle weakness, poor nutrition, disrupted sleep, anxiety and social isolation.

By Judith Graham

May 24, 2021

Navigating Aging

As Pandemic Eases, Many Seniors Have Lost Strength, May Need Rehabilitative Services

A little-discussed, long-term toll of the pandemic is that large numbers of older adults have become physically and cognitively debilitated and less able to care for themselves after sheltering in place.

By Judith Graham

May 21, 2021

Navigating Aging

Aiding Her Dying Husband, a Geriatrician Learns the Emotional and Physical Toll of Caregiving

When the covid pandemic hit, Dr. Rebecca Elon was thrust into a new role, primary caregiver for her severely ill husband and her elderly mother. “Reading about caregiving of this kind was one thing. Experiencing it was entirely different,” she says.

By Judith Graham

May 18, 2021

KHN & PolitiFact HealthCheck

Biden Boasts About Equitable Senior Vaccination Rate by Race Without Data to Back It Up

There is no public national data source that tracks vaccination rates based on a combination of race or ethnicity as well as age. Most state-level data shows that disparities exist in vaccine rates between white people and people of color.

By Victoria Knight

May 12, 2021

Trouble Managing Money May Be an Early Sign of Dementia

Long before they receive a dementia diagnosis, many people begin to mismanage their finances as their memory, organizational skills and self-control falter.

By Michelle Andrews

May 5, 2021

In Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, Millions Face Long Drives to Stroke Care

Across Appalachia and the Mississippi Delta, where death rates from stroke are above the national average, routing patients from rural areas to the right level of care can be an intricate jigsaw puzzle. The closest hospital might not offer the full scope of stroke treatments, but hospitals with more advanced care could be hours away.

By Aneri Pattani, Hannah Recht, and Jamie Grey, InvestigateTV

May 4, 2021

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