Aging
New Eligibility Rules Are a Financial Salve for Nearly 2 Million on Medi-Cal
Millions of Medi-Cal beneficiaries can now save for a rainy day, keep an inheritance, or hold on to a modest nest egg, without losing coverage, thanks to an eligibility change phased in over the past year and a half. It also has opened the door for thousands who previously did not qualify for Medi-Cal, the […]
To End School Shootings, Activists Consider a New Culprit: Parents
The Host Julie Rovner KFF Health News @jrovner @julierovner.bsky.social Read Julie’s stories. Julie Rovner is chief Washington correspondent and host of KFF Health News’ weekly health policy news podcast, “What the Health?” A noted expert on health policy issues, Julie is the author of the critically praised reference book “Health Care Politics and Policy A […]
Senate Probes the Cost of Assisted Living and Its Burden on American Families
A U.S. Senate committee on Thursday launched an examination of assisted living, holding its first hearing in two decades on the industry as leaders of both parties expressed concern about the high cost and mixed quality of the long-term care facilities. The federal government has minimal oversight of assisted living, which is regulated by states, […]
Una decisión difícil: cuando los adultos mayores tienen que dejar de conducir
Lewis Morgenstern ha tomado una decisión. Cuando cumpla 65, dentro de cuatro años, va a firmar una directiva anticipada sobre conducir. El documento indicará que se alejará del volante cuando sus hijos se lo pidan. “Es posible que, llegado el momento, no sea capaz de tomar la mejor decisión sobre conducir, y quiero dejar claro […]
Preparing to Hang Up the Car Keys as We Age
Lewis Morgenstern has made up his mind. When he turns 65 in four years, he’s going to sign an advance directive for driving. The directive will say that when his children want him to stop getting behind the wheel, Morgenstern will follow their advice. “I recognize that I might not be able to make the […]
Medicare Advantage Is Popular, but Some Beneficiaries Feel Buyer’s Remorse
Medicare Advantage plans are booming — 30.8 million of the 60 million Americans with Medicare are now enrolled in the private plans rather than the traditional government-run program. But a little-known fact: Once you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you may not be able to get out. Traditional Medicare usually requires beneficiaries to pay 20 […]
What’s Indoor Air Quality Like in Long-Term Care Facilities During Wildfires? Worse Than You’d Think.
Every year, wildfires across the western U.S. and Canada send plumes of smoke into the sky. When that smoke blows into southwestern Idaho’s Treasure Valley, it blankets Boise-area residents in dirty air. They include seniors living in long-term care facilities, many of whom are considered an at-risk population for smoke exposure because of respiratory or […]
Watch: Older Americans Say They Feel Stuck in Medicare Advantage Plans
As enrollment in private Medicare Advantage plans grows, so do concerns about how well the coverage works, including from people who say they are stuck in the private plans as their health declines. KFF Health News’ Sarah Jane Tribble explains. Read Tribble’s full article on Medicare Advantage here. Credits Hannah Norman Video producer
America’s Health System Isn’t Ready for the Surge of Seniors With Disabilities
The number of older adults with disabilities — difficulty with walking, seeing, hearing, memory, cognition, or performing daily tasks such as bathing or using the bathroom — will soar in the decades ahead, as baby boomers enter their 70s, 80s, and 90s. But the health care system isn’t ready to address their needs. That became […]
In a Fractious Rerun, GOP Rivals Haley and DeSantis Debate Health Care. Trump Sits It Out.
The race to win the quickly approaching Iowa caucuses was the theme running through Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate hosted by CNN at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Front-runner Donald Trump was again absent and only two other candidates made the cut: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. DeSantis […]