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Concerns about aging in good health

Do men harbour concerns about aging in good health? Do they confide these concerns to their physicians? Are men's concerns the same as women's? The answers to these questions can be found in a large cross-sectional survey of 2325 Canadian men, aged 55 to 97 years old, led by Dr. Cara Tannenbaum, Geriatrician and the Michel Saucier Endowed Chair in Geriatric Pharmacology, Health and Aging at the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (IUGM) which is affiliated with the Université de Montréal.

10 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Wilensky on bipartisan Medicare reform; Mass. 2006 health law and 2012 GOP politics; Reinstating advanced care planning

The Super Tuesday exit polls yielded a mountain of data in 10 states, but the most telling single statistic may have been in Massachusetts, which Mitt Romney won in a largely uncontested rout. Yet believe it or not, he still lost on health care. The exit poll asked voters their opinion of the "Massachusetts Health Care Law," with the options of Did Not Go Far Enough, About Right and Went Too Far. Remarkably, 51% said the bill went too far, while only 37% said it was about right, and 6% said not far enough.

9 Mar 2012

First Edition: March 7, 2012

Reporting for Kaiser Health News in collaboration with The Washington Post, Susan Jaffe writes: "In the latest effort to enlist seniors in the fight against Medicare fraud, federal officials have overhauled Medicare billing statements to make it easier to find bogus charges without a magnifying glass."

7 Mar 2012

GOP lawmakers face strategic fits and starts in health law repeal efforts

Meanwhile, as some House Republicans push to undo the measure's cost-cutting panel, known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board, its advocates are springing to its defense.

7 Mar 2012

Medicaid: Texas rule lowers pharmacy prescription pay; N.H. gets grant

In Texas, new Medicaid rules mean pharmacies get paid less for filling prescriptions for Medicaid patients. In New Hampshire, however, a new Medicaid grant will help people with disabilities stay in their homes.

6 Mar 2012

Viewpoints: Statins and diabetes; Frightening tobacco warnings; The U.S. dental crisis

We're overdosing on cholesterol-lowering statins, and the consequence could be a sharp increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes. This past week, the Food and Drug Administration raised questions about the side effects of these drugs and developed new labels for these medications that will now warn of the risk of diabetes and memory loss.

6 Mar 2012

Video games do not adequately meet older adults' needs

Advances in technology have brought the video gaming experience closer to that of traditional physical games. Although systems, such as the Wii, that incorporate these features fly off the shelves, the increasingly complex technology may alienate certain segments of the population, including seniors.

6 Mar 2012

Nutrisystem 2011 revenues decrease to $401.3M

Nutrisystem, Inc., a leading provider of weight management products and services, today reported financial results for the year ended December 31, 2011.

5 Mar 2012

Poll reveals public opinions on contraception coverage, Medicare plans

The close divide in a Senate vote Thursday over whether employers can refuse insurance coverage for contraception mirrors a sharp partisan divide among the public, according to a national poll and interviews with women around the country.

3 Mar 2012

Research roundup: The push for hospital quality and concerns about disparities; Rating physicians online

Researchers wondered if pay-for-performance (P4P) programs, which reward hospitals for meeting quality targets, have unintentional effects on racial and/or ethnic disparities. Using federal patient-level quality data, researchers found that "many hospitals treat Whites and minorities equitably" but they noted that since many minorities tend to seek care at hospitals that "perform poorly on common quality score composites, the pay for performance efforts could unintentionally penalize hospitals serving high numbers of minorities.

3 Mar 2012

Sleep improves with age dispelling age old myth

A new study dispels the age old belief that sleep doesn’t get more difficult with age. The study shows that sleep quality tends to improve the older people got, with adults in their 80s getting better sleep than any other age group surveyed. The new study was published in the journal Sleep.

2 Mar 2012

Longer looks: Romney's evolution on abortion; The birth of the HIV epidemic

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney began his political career as a pro-choicer. In the story he tells, he had an epiphany, a flash of insight, and committed himself thereafter to protecting life. But that isn't what happened. The real story of Romney's conversion - a series of tentative, equivocal, and confused shifts, accompanied by a constant rewriting of his past - paints a more accurate picture of who he is.

2 Mar 2012

The health law and the states

Stateline reports that some GOP governors are moving very slowly on health insurance exchanges. Also in the news, a bill in the Georgia House would restore child-only plans.

2 Mar 2012

SIR to showcase latest minimally invasive treatments at 37th annual meeting

Health, science and medical reporters are invited to register now for the Society of Interventional Radiology's 37th Annual Scientific Meeting March 24 at Moscone Center (North), San Francisco, Calif. The meeting's theme, "IR Evidence," was chosen to focus on the results of care-changing investigations that showcase research into minimally invasive treatments that provide treatment options, advance patient care and improve quality of life.

1 Mar 2012

Romney wins Michigan, Arizona; Rivals press health policy barbs

In exit polls, some GOP voters said they were concerned about Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's health care policies. Rivals Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich offered parallels between the federal health law and the measure Romney signed while governor of Massachusetts.

1 Mar 2012

Romney's Medicare plan would gradually raise eligibility age

The plan was released just days before just days before the next round of primary elections. Also in the news, more on GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's tea party appeal and position on abortion, while rival Rick Santorum offers more charges that the former Massachusetts governor is not conservative enough.

27 Feb 2012

First Edition: February 27, 2012

Among today's health policy headlines, a new Politico poll highlights the deep divide in public opinion that exists regarding the repeal of the health law.

27 Feb 2012

Romney calls for raising Medicare age gradually to 67

The candidate detailed some of his Medicare plan in front of a crowd of about 1200 people on Friday in Michigan, according to news accounts.

27 Feb 2012

New phone number to University of Michigan memory loss and dementia services

Her diagnosis was scary: Alzheimer's Disease. So Myriam Torres was desperate for accurate information and help with coping with what the future might bring.

23 Feb 2012

States propose more Medicaid cuts, changes to save money

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is proposing cutting $2.7 billion from that state's Medicaid program. Also, New Mexico's governor is proposing Medicaid patients pay more out of pocket if they go to the ER for care that's not an emergency. Georgia may drug-test Medicaid patients, and California Medicaid changes are questioned by patient advocates.

23 Feb 2012