Aging
Strong Words
President Barack Obama: “So the Affordable Care Act I signed into law four months ago will give every American more control over their health care -– and it will do more to give Americans with disabilities control over their own lives than any legislation since the ADA. … And because Americans with disabilities are living […]
Seniors Get a Break On Medicare Part B Premiums
Part B premiums for Medicare beneficiaries will rise less than originally anticipated next year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. For most beneficiaries, premiums will be $99.90 a month in 2012, a $3.50 increase over the $96.40 paid this year by a majority of elderly and disabled beneficiaries. Part B pays for […]
The ABCs Of Medicare Part D
Open-enrollment season for Medicare Part D often brings confusion for seniors all over the United States trying to sign up for prescription drug plans. Most counties in the U.S., however, have programs to help seniors wade through the options. See related story: SHIP Programs Can Help Seniors Save Money On A Medicare Drug Plan Related […]
How PARIS Is Helping Veterans In Need
About 10 years ago, I first heard about a federal databank called PARIS — the Public Assistance Reporting Information System. It was set up to allow both state and federal programs the opportunity to compare public assistance files, primarily to look for cheaters who were double-dipping by drawing the same kind of benefits from different government […]
Affluent Seniors Could Take A Hit On Medicare
In the scramble to come up with a deficit-reduction deal by Thanksgiving, members of Capitol Hill’s super committee appear to have one group squarely in their cross hairs: high-income Medicare beneficiaries. Some fiscal conservatives argue that the federal government shouldn’t help finance health care benefits for the rich. “Frankly, if you’re a wealthy person the […]
Officials Looking To Cut Federal Spending Eye Medigap Policies
This story was produced in collaboration with Margaret Fisher is among the millions of seniors with private, supplemental health insurance that takes care of most of the medical bills Medicare doesn’t cover. If she has a health crisis, she reasons, it won’t become a financial crisis, too. But officials looking for ways to cut the […]
What Every Baby Boomer Should Know About Medicare
(Illustration by James Fryer for The Washington Post) ? Throughout Robert Joseph’s career, the Alvin, Texas, electrician always understood his health insurance policies. “I’ve never had a problem,” Joseph says, “until I tried to sign up for Medicare.” The chief reason: Joseph didn’t sign up when he turned 65. He was still working, receiving health […]
Medicare Offers Extra Enrollment Time For Seniors Who Call Today
Federal officials are extending the Dec. 7 deadline for three days for some people who have had trouble enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug or private health plan because of the crush of last-minute sign-ups. A spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid said the “increased flexibility” is limited only to seniors who contact […]
How Lawsuits Can Stymie Some Automatic Cuts
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KQED, and Kaiser Health News. Automatic spending cuts, triggered by a state’s budget process, can give lawmakers political cover to slash funding to popular programs. In California, though, advocates are seizing on legal strategies to make some services budget bulletproof. Governor Jerry Brown this week […]
Case-by-Case, California Examines Adult Day Care
This story is part of a reporting partnership that includes KQED, and Kaiser Health News. Lunch is a dangerous time of day for Lawrence DiCarmo. The 79-year-old former brick layer takes his midday meal in a small side room under the watchful eye of a nurse at Napa Valley Adult Day Services in Napa, Calif. […]