Aging
My Place CT
None of us wants to face it, but our chances of needing a caregiver when we’re older are pretty high – about two of out every three older Americans need help with “routine daily activities, such as eating, bathing, dressing, paying bills, and preparing meals.” And, as the population ages, the need for people to […]
Talking Scales and Telemedicine: ACO Tools To Keep Patients Out Of The Hospital
ST. PAUL, Minn. — When Bill Hill prepares to weigh himself each morning, a mechanical voice speaks to him from a small box on his nightstand that is connected to the scale on the floor. “Ready for Health Check?” the voice asks. “Do you want to check your weight? Please step on the scale.” Bill […]
Moving People Home After Nursing Home Stay Is Complicated
Two years ago, Dorothy Holmes, then 75, was in the cozy pink bathroom of her mobile home getting ready to shower when she fell. It’s the type of accident that’s pervasive among older Americans – and it’s often the very thing that triggers the end of independence. “I got a big spot on my head, […]
No Shopping Zone: Medicare Is Not Part Of New Insurance Marketplaces
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with While the Obama administration is stepping up efforts encouraging uninsured Americans to enroll in health coverage from the new online insurance marketplaces, officials are planning a campaign to convince millions of seniors to please stay away – don’t call and don’t sign up. “We want to reassure […]
Pathways To Housing: One Woman’s Story
Two years ago Pathways to Housing helped a homeless Alicia O. find an apartment and get regular medical care, the first steps on her way to changing her circumstances, and improving her life. Read Related Stories: One Woman Living Beneath A Georgetown Bridge Finds Her Way Home Nurse Practitioner’s Life Story Prepares Him To Work […]
Selling Marketplace Plans To Medicare Beneficiaries Will Be Illegal
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with After reassuring seniors that Medicare is not part of the new health insurance marketplaces, administration officials have a warning for anyone who may have other ideas: selling marketplace coverage to people who have Medicare is illegal. Starting Jan. 1, most Americans will be required to have health […]
Long-Term Care Panel Releases Recommendations But Fails To Offer Plan To Help Pay For Services
A commission created by Congress to address the country’s surging need for long-term health care released recommendations Friday but did not reach a consensus on how to pay for these often expensive services. Home health aide Wendy Cerrato helps Olga Socarras get out of her bed in Miami, Fla. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The […]
States Balk At Terminating Medicaid Contracts Even When There’s Fraud Or Poor Patient Care
This KHN story was produced in collaboration with In Florida, a national managed care company’s former top executives were convicted in a scheme to rip off Medicaid. In Illinois, a state official concluded two Medicaid plans were providing “abysmal” care. In Ohio, a nonprofit paid millions to settle civil fraud allegations that it failed to […]
Labor Dept. Mandates Minimum Wage, Overtime Pay For Home Health Workers
The U. S. Department of Labor issued new rules Tuesday that mandate home health care agencies pay their workers the minimum wage and receive overtime pay starting in 2015. “Almost 2 million home care workers are doing critical work, providing services to people with disabilities and senior citizens who want to live in community settings […]
FAQ: Seniors On Medicare Don’t Need To Apply To The Health Law Marketplaces
Nearly 50 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and disabled. The 2010 health care law, known as the Affordable Care Act, will make some changes to the program. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Medicare and the health law. Q: The health law creates […]