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For issues that can drive physicians to quit

One news article details the reasons that drove a primary care physician to quit practicing medicine. Meanwhile, the American Medical Association is launching a media campaign to permanently fix the formula that is used to calculate Medicare payments to doctors.

10 Oct 2011

Health interests make cases to super committee

For instance, hospital groups are urging the panel not to reduce bad-debt payments, saying such a step would take a toll on the hospital safety net. Others are asking that entitlements in general and Medicare specifically be protected.

7 Oct 2011

First Edition: October 4, 2011

Today's news highlights include reports that the Supreme Court kicked off its new term by hearing a key Medicaid case that tests whether providers and patients can go to court to challenge decisions by cash-strapped states to reduce Medicaid payments.

4 Oct 2011

Viewpoints: Mixing Obama and Ryan's plans, cancer rationing and stalling federal aid

What has been revealed is that the systems set up during an industrial era to provide health care, retirement income and support during economic downturns are inadequate for and ill-suited to our post-industrial, globalized economy. ...one can imagine a system in which all workers and nonworkers are required to buy insurance from the government-regulated exchanges being set up in each region or state under the Obama health-care reform plan.

4 Oct 2011

Ikamva Labantu to launch health and education development centers in South Africa

At the Clinton Global Initiative 2011, Ikamva Labantu, one of South Africa's longest-standing social development organizations, announced that it will be launching a Health and Wellness Center and an Early Childhood Development Training & Resource Center in the Khayelitsha township outside Cape Town by the end of 2011.

1 Oct 2011

Tips for seniors to avoid serious complications from prescription meds

For seniors, October is a month in which medications - particularly prescription meds - will likely be on their minds. Not only is October national "Talk About Prescriptions Month," but Oct. 15 marks the start of Medicare's Annual Election Period during which beneficiaries can disenroll from, switch or enroll into a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

1 Oct 2011

Walgreens, Walmart partner with Coventry to offer First Health Value Plus in the U.S.

Coventry Health Care, Inc. announced today that it has joined in partnership for 2012 with the nation's largest and best known names in retail and pharmacy—Walgreens, Walmart, and Target—to offer a novel Medicare prescription drug plan known as First Health Value Plus.

1 Oct 2011

OCC applauds political parties for introducing policies to support caregivers

With just a week to go, the Ontario election is making history. All three major parties (Liberals, New Democratic Party and Progressive Conservatives) have named policies in their election platforms to support caregivers.

1 Oct 2011

Techniques on how to value, sell, and buy skilled nursing facilities

The SeniorCare Investor will be teaching seniors housing professionals techniques on how to value, sell, and buy skilled nursing facilities by hosting an online conference on Thursday, October 13th. The skilled nursing facility market can be tricky for investors. Some often wonder why certain SNFs sell for more than $100,000 per bed when others struggle to get $30,000 per bed.

30 Sep 2011

New survey finds Minneapolis as the best U.S. city for senior living

Minneapolis is the best city in the United States for senior living, with Boston, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Denver rounding out the top five, according to a new survey conducted for the Bankers Life and Casualty Company Center For a Secure Retirement.

30 Sep 2011

GSA, NAM select 16 reporters for MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program

The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and New America Media (NAM) have selected 16 reporters for the MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program, now in its second year.

30 Sep 2011

CVS Caremark, Dovetail Health partner to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions

Industry research finds that one in five seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, representing a prevalent and costly issue for health plan sponsors. Moreover, it is estimated that nearly 70 percent of adverse health events that take place after hospital discharge are related to medication management issues.

29 Sep 2011

Low-tech, inexpensive interventions for bedsores could benefit long-term care residents

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that low-tech, inexpensive interventions for bedsores could improve health for long-term care residents and reduce health-care costs for the facilities that house them.

29 Sep 2011

WSJ: Federal judge advances medical records case

The lawsuit, brought by the newspaper's publisher, seeks to overturn an injunction that keeps the public from being able to see Medicare billing records. In related news, The Fiscal Times examines Medicare waste and improper payments.

29 Sep 2011

Low vitamin B12 raises risk of dementia in the elderly: Study

According to a latest study the elderly with low levels of vitamin B12 in their blood may be more likely to develop problems with their thinking skills and have more brain shrinkage. The study points to a link between low B12 and early cognitive decline, a condition that often leads to dementia. Previous research has found that those people with high levels of vitamin B12 in their blood have lower levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, which some studies have linked to an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, memory loss, and stroke.

27 Sep 2011

Research roundup: Widows and medical spending; disparities in heart care, hospital deaths

The authors write: "We find that out-of-pocket medical spending is approximately 29 percent higher when an individual becomes widowed, a large portion of which is spending on nursing homes. Our results suggest a substantial role of living arrangements in out-of-pocket medical spending; however, our estimates combined with differences in rates of widowhood across gender suggest that marital status can explain only one third of the gender difference in total out-of-pocket medical spending, leaving a large portion unexplained.

27 Sep 2011

Seniors deeply concerned about Medicare, Medicaid future as 'super committee' decisions loom

Seniors, gathered in downtown Los Angeles this week for the annual conference of the AARP, expressed fear and anxiety about aging when Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are under attack both in Washington and on the campaign trail. More than 20,000 seniors are attending ... Seniors are increasingly relying on Social Security and Medicare to finance their retirement and healthcare, AARP chief executive officer A. Barry Rand told a packed house.

26 Sep 2011

Study: Torontonians want non-profit organizations to provide programs and services

Torontonians want non-profit organizations to provide programs and services in their neighbourhoods that are relevant to their needs, held at convenient times and locations and have stable funding, a research study has found.

23 Sep 2011

AARP launches ad campaign urging debt panel to steer clear of Medicare

According to the national ad campaign's script, which urges the deficit panel to take Medicare cuts off the table, Social Security payments have been earned by a lifetime of work and Medicare, the health insurance plan for seniors, is paid for by participants.

23 Sep 2011

As Congress searches for health care savings, care coordination for dual eligibles may offer an opportunity

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said during a Wednesday Senate Finance Committee hearing that the current lack of coordination for people who are on both Medicare and Medicaid leads to massive amounts of waste and low-quality care, but an Obama administration official said more time was needed to address this issue. Also, a new report written by Emory University's Kenneth Thorpe and funded by America's Health Insurance Plans sets a high possible savings estimate if this coordination goal can be achieved.

23 Sep 2011

Seniors News and Research

For issues that can drive physicians to quit

Health interests make cases to super committee

First Edition: October 4, 2011

Viewpoints: Mixing Obama and Ryan's plans, cancer rationing and stalling federal aid

Ikamva Labantu to launch health and education development centers in South Africa

Tips for seniors to avoid serious complications from prescription meds

Walgreens, Walmart partner with Coventry to offer First Health Value Plus in the U.S.

OCC applauds political parties for introducing policies to support caregivers

Techniques on how to value, sell, and buy skilled nursing facilities

New survey finds Minneapolis as the best U.S. city for senior living

GSA, NAM select 16 reporters for MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program

CVS Caremark, Dovetail Health partner to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions

Low-tech, inexpensive interventions for bedsores could benefit long-term care residents

WSJ: Federal judge advances medical records case

Low vitamin B12 raises risk of dementia in the elderly: Study

Research roundup: Widows and medical spending; disparities in heart care, hospital deaths

Seniors deeply concerned about Medicare, Medicaid future as 'super committee' decisions loom

Study: Torontonians want non-profit organizations to provide programs and services

AARP launches ad campaign urging debt panel to steer clear of Medicare

As Congress searches for health care savings, care coordination for dual eligibles may offer an opportunity

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