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Medicare News
Medicare Ties 2009 Pay for Outpatient Services to
Quality Reporting
Amount beneficiaries pay for outpatient services will
decline to provide a gradual transition to 20% coinsurance
 July
4, 2008 – Medicare has proposed a new rule increasing the pay rate for
hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers by three
percent for calendar year 2009, but, those that do not meet quality
reporting requirements will see that pay rate increase to just one
percent. It is the first time Medicare outpatient pay rates have been
associated with the quality of service.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Women Much More Likely Than Men to Have Dementia
Among Those Age 90 Plus
 Findings from 90+ Study suggest changes are
needed to provide adequate healthcare resources for the 'oldest old'
July
3, 2008 - Women over 90 are significantly more likely to have dementia
than men of the same age, according UC Irvine researchers involved with
the 90+ Study, one of the nation’s largest studies of dementia
and other health factors in the fastest-growing age demographic.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Which is Best Path to Fountain of Youth – Diet or
Exercise? Diet Wins Again in Latest Study
There are links on this page to many such studies
over the last few years suggesting diet is best but even better with
exercise
 By Tucker Sutherland, editor & publisher,
SeniorJournal.com
July
3, 2008 - The question of which keeps you younger – diet or exercise –
has been probed again in new research with older people and the winner,
once again, is dieting. Over the last few years SeniorJournal.com has
published a number of reports on studies testing which of the two is
best to slow the signs of aging and extend life. The
study released today, however, focuses on older people and moves the
research from animals to humans.
Read more...
Senior Citizens & Sex
Viagra-Effect May Make Watermelon More Popular with
Older Men this July Fourth
Citrulline in the fruit has the ability to relax
blood vessels, much like Viagra does, and may make it more popular for
Valentine's Day
July 3, 2008 – Keep an eye on the older men at the
Fourth of July picnic. They may be gobbling down an unusual amount of
watermelon. A new study, however, suggests this fruit may become more
popular around Valentine’s Day, since it discovered watermelon has
ingredients that deliver Viagra-like effects to the body's blood vessels
and may even increase libido. And, as a special bonus, it is also good
for the heart. Read
more...
Nutrition, Vitamins & Supplements for Seniors
Measuring Calcium Deposits in Heart’s Arteries
Predicts Heart Attack Risk in Elderly
 ‘Calcium scans can be the best predictor
available to detect who is likely to suffer a heart attack’
July
2, 2008 – Senior citizens who worry if they are at risk of a heart
attack, which probably includes about all of them, may be surprised by a
very large new study that finds measuring calcium deposits in the
heart's arteries is probably the best way to predict overall death risk
in American adults, even when they are elderly.
Read more...
USA Today Features Reports on Challenges Faced by
Senior Citizens from Ballooning Prices
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Seniors at food bank. |
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In depth reports are accompanied with tools and
ideas to help seniors survive
July
2, 2008 – USA Today has begun a series of reports focusing on the
financial struggle faced by many of America’s senior citizens as they
fight to survive ballooning food, gasoline and health care prices on a
fixed income. The series on 21st century retirement also includes tips
and tools to help seniors make it.
Read more...
Aging News & Information
Nearly 8,000
Senior Citizens Die from Traumatic Brain Injuries Following Falls
 TBIs maybe missed or misdiagnosed among older adults
but 56,000 hospitalized in 2005
July
2, 2008 - Traumatic brain injuries due to falls caused nearly 8,000
deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 among Americans 65 and older,
according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention released in the June issue of the Journal of Safety Research.
Read more...
Features for Senior Citizens
Don’t Look for Many Senior Citizens to Fire Up the
Grill on July 4
Some interesting facts about the U.S. on Independence
Day 2008
July 1, 2008 - No matter what the subject, when it
comes to polling Americans, senior citizens always stand out as being
different from younger people.
Read
more....
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
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Diagnosed
Diabetes by Age, United States, 1980–2005 |
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One in Every Four Older Americans Now Diagnosed with
Diabetes
Three million increase in two years pushes total in
US to 24 million
June 30, 2008 – Last week new statistics on
diabetes were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) that showed 24 million in the U.S. now have diabetes – 8 percent
of the population. What was buried deeper in the news release was the
staggering statistic that almost 25 percent of the population age 60 and
older had diabetes in 2007.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Medicare Hits Physicians with New Regulations, Cuts
$3 Billion From Fee Schedule
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Medicare actually
pays 80% of the fee schedule rate, while the beneficiary is
responsible for the remaining 20%. Nearly 95% of Medicare
physicians, however, accept the fee schedule rate as payment in
full, according to CMS. |
Spending under the 2009 Physician Fee Schedule is
projected at $54 billion
June 30, 2008 – While physicians caring for
Medicare patients have a 10-day reprieve from a 10 percent pay cut, they
did get hit today by new regulations proposed by Medicare, as well as,
changes in the agency’s compensation structure that will reduce payments
to doctors by about $3 billion. Some question if this will encourage
doctors to push more of the bill to the senior citizen patients.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Docs Get Temporary Relief from Medicare Pay Cut Due
Tuesday
Washington Post says freeze by Health & Human
Services could last 10 days
 June
30, 2008 -
HHS Secretary Mike
Leavitt on Friday said that the agency will maintain the current
Medicare payment rate for physicians because Congress was unable to pass
legislation to avert a 10.6% cut scheduled to go into effect on Tuesday
before lawmakers left for the Fourth of July recess, the
Washington
Post reports. According to the
Post, congressional aides
said the freeze to payment rates could last 10 days (Kane,
Washington Post, 6/28).
Read
more...
Money, Insurance & Investments for Seniors
Six Tips on How to Reduce Long-Term Care Insurance
Costs
Annual premiums vary by age, health, and type of
policy but can run as high as $5,000 a year
By
ElderLawAnswers.com
 June
30, 2008 - While long-term care insurance can be a good way to pay for a
nursing home stay or a home health care worker, it doesn't come cheap.
Annual premiums vary significantly, depending on your age, health, and
the type of policy, but policies can run as high as $5,000 per year. You
do not need to pay that much, however. Following are six tips to reduce
your costs. Read more...
Senior Citizen Alerts
Effort Grows to
Protect Seniors by Removing Social Security Number from Medicare Card
Social Security frustrated with refusal to change by
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
 June
27, 2008 - Social Security says don’t carry your card on you, someone
could get the number and use it to steal your identity. Medicare tells
senior citizen to always carry their Medicare card, even though it has
their Social Security number prominently displayed. Social Security has
been trying to get Medicare to come up with a new card and
identification system and, finally, they are getting some help in this
effort to protect older Americans from identification theft.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Republicans, Insurance Lobby Slam Shut Effort to
Stop Medicare’s 10% Pay Cut for Physicians
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 One
Doc Says Enough's Enough - Leaving Practice |
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Sen. McCain could have stopped the pay cut but failed
to show for the vote; AMA says docs will limit Medicare patients
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McCain No Show - could have made
difference. |
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June 27, 2008 – The insurance industry lobby, with
a lot of help from Republican senators, appears to have managed to cut
Medicare’s pay to physicians by more than 10 percent by the end of June.
Although approved by a majority of the Senators present, the legislation
failed by one vote to reach the 60 needed to close debate and call for
the final vote. President Bush had promised to veto the bill that
earlier passed the House by a gigantic margin of 355-59, as many
Republicans defied the President’s threat.
Read more...
Money, Insurance & Investments for Seniors
Today’s U.S. Senior Citizen Couple Needs $85,000 To
Insure Long-Term Care Costs
 50-year old Baby Boomer earning $50,000, providing
four years of long-term care to a family member, could lose more than
$140,000 in wages, retirement plans, and social security
June
27, 2008 – A U.S. couple that is 65 years old in 2008 will need $85,000
to insure against the expense of long-term care in the future, according
to a new estimate by Fidelity Investments.
Read more...
Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health
Older Adults with Diabetes Experience Memory
Declines Immediately after Unhealthy Meal
 Can be offset by taking antioxidant vitamins with
meal, but healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is best defense
June
26, 2008 – Older adults with type 2 diabetes who eat unhealthy, high-fat
meals may experience memory declines immediately afterward, according to
new research. But, the study found this can be offset by taking
antioxidant vitamins with the meal.
Read more...
Senior Citizen Politics
Senior Citizen Shopping, Discounts
Senior Citizen Driving Courses Can Save You Up to
15% off Car Insurance
Discounted price for online safe driving course,
which can earn insurance discount
By SeniorDiscounts.com
June 25, 20089 - There are now defensive driving
courses available to mature drivers that could help reduce the amount
you pay for your auto insurance. More than two- thirds of states mandate
auto insurance policy discounts for such courses, and many insurance
companies offer the discounts voluntarily.
Read more...
Fitness & Exercise for Senior Citizens
Chinese Martial Art of Tai Chi Chih Helps Seniors
Sleep Better, Fight Shingles Virus
UCLA researcher continues to find benefits for senior
citizens in 20-movement exercise
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 Tai Chi Chih developed
in 1974 by Justin Stone, who discusses it in this YouTube video
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link in story |
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June 25, 2008 – Most senior citizens have sleeping
problems and most do nothing about it. UCLA researchers say the answer
is the Westernized version of a 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art, Tai
Chi Chih. From the same study, they had earlier determined this exercise
also significantly boosts the immune systems of older adults against the
virus that leads to the painful, blistery rash known as shingles.
Read
more...
Elder Care News
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Hypertension Best Controlled in Study with Home
Monitoring and Web-Based Pharmacist
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Link to Video
in story |
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More than half reached blood pressure goal through
home monitoring-Web training-Web Pharmacy
June 24, 2008 – High blood pressure (hypertension)
is the leading chronic disease among senior citizens but a new treatment
method has achieved significant results in improving the control of
blood pressure. The patients who monitored their blood pressure from
home and received Web-based pharmacist care and training showed greater
improvement in blood pressure control than patients who received usual
care. Read
more...
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