Aging
Doctor on Call? Lawmakers Debate How Much to Pay for Phone Appointments
It took covid-19 to give millions of Americans the option of telling their doctor about their aches and pains by phone. But now that more doctors and patients are returning to in-person appointments, policymakers across the country are divided over how much taxpayer money to keep spending on phone appointments. Although they were a lifeline […]
Zooming Into the Statehouse: Nursing Home Residents Use New Digital Skills to Push for Changes
Patty Bausch testified remotely before a Connecticut state legislative hearing on Feb. 23, 2021. (Connecticut General Assembly Aging Committee public hearing via YouTube) Patty Bausch isn’t a Medicaid expert, lawyer or medical professional. But she still thinks Connecticut legislators need her input when they consider bills affecting people like her — the roughly 18,000 residents […]
Expanding Insurance Coverage Is Top Priority for New Medicare-Medicaid Chief
The new head of the federal agency that oversees health benefits for nearly 150 million Americans and $1 trillion in federal spending said in one of her first interviews that her top priorities will be broadening insurance coverage and ensuring health equity. “We’ve seen through the pandemic what happens when people don’t have health insurance […]
Caring for an Aging Nation
Health care for the nation’s seniors looms large as the baby-boom generation ages into retirement. President Joe Biden tacitly acknowledged those needs in March with his proposal to spend $400 billion over the next eight years to improve access to in-home and community-based care. The swelling population of seniors will far outpace growth in other […]
Is Your Living Room the Future of Hospital Care?
Major hospital systems are betting big money that the future of hospital care looks a lot like the inside of patients’ homes. Hospital-level care at home — some of it provided over the internet — is poised to grow after more than a decade as a niche offering, boosted both by hospitals eager to ease […]
Tips for Older Adults to Regain Their Game After Being Cooped Up for More Than a Year
Alice Herb, 88, an intrepid New Yorker, is used to walking miles around Manhattan. But after this year of being shut inside, trying to avoid covid-19, she’s noticed a big difference in how she feels. “Physically, I’m out of shape,” she told me. “The other day I took the subway for the first time, and […]
As Pandemic Eases, Many Seniors Have Lost Strength, May Need Rehabilitative Services
Ronald Lundquist, 87, has been active all his life. So, he wasn’t prepared for what happened when he stopped going out during the coronavirus pandemic and spent most of his time, inactive, at home. “I found it hard to get up and get out of bed,” said Lundquist, who lives with his wife of 67 […]
Aiding Her Dying Husband, a Geriatrician Learns the Emotional and Physical Toll of Caregiving
The loss of a husband. The death of a sister. Taking in an elderly mother with dementia. This has been a year like none other for Dr. Rebecca Elon, who has dedicated her professional life to helping older adults. It’s taught her what families go through when caring for someone with serious illness as nothing […]
Trouble Managing Money May Be an Early Sign of Dementia
After Maria Turner’s minivan was totaled in an accident a dozen years ago, she grew impatient waiting for the insurance company to process the claim. One night, she saw a red pickup truck on eBay for $20,000. She thought it was just what she needed. She clicked “buy it now” and went to bed. The […]
Humana Health Plan Overcharged Medicare by Nearly $200 Million, Federal Audit Finds
A Humana Inc. health plan for seniors in Florida improperly collected nearly $200 million in 2015 by overstating how sick some patients were, according to a new federal audit, which seeks to claw back the money. The Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s recommendation to repay, if finalized, would be “by far the […]