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After Congress fails to add dental coverage, Medicare weighs limited benefit expansion

Proposed changes in Medicare rules could soon pave the way for a significant expansion in Medicare-covered dental services, while falling short of the comprehensive benefits that many Democratic lawmakers have advocated.

17 Oct 2022

Will covid spike again this fall? 6 tips to help you stay safe

Last year, the emergence of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the covid-19 virus caught many people by surprise and led to a surge in cases that overwhelmed hospitals and drove up fatalities. Now we're learning that omicron is mutating to better evade the immune system.

14 Oct 2022

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Finally fixing the ‘family glitch’

The Biden administration this week issued regulations aimed at fixing the Affordable Care Act's "family glitch," which has prevented families that can't afford their employer insurance from getting subsidized coverage from the insurance marketplaces.

13 Oct 2022

Watch: What experts advise for seniors living under the long shadow of covid

The covid-19 pandemic casts a long shadow over the lives of older adults and their family caregivers in the United States, even as many people resolve to move on and resume normal activities.

11 Oct 2022

West Health-Gallup report: 44% of Americans give poor or failing grades to the U.S. healthcare system

Nearly half the country (44%), or about 114 million Americans, give poor (30%) or failing (14%) grades to the U.S. healthcare system, percentages that climb higher and grow even more negative when it comes to affordability and health equity, according to a new report from West Health and Gallup, the polling organization.

6 Oct 2022

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Looking ahead to the lame-duck session

When the lame-duck Congress returns to Washington after Election Day, it will face a long list of health items needing attention before the end of the year, including setting overall spending for health programs and averting a series of Medicare payment cuts to health care providers.

6 Oct 2022

Medicare eligibility may increase food pantry visits, improve food security among seniors

Low-income seniors were seven times more likely to visit a food pantry in the year after becoming eligible for Medicare, resulting in improved food security, according to a new study from UT Southwestern.

23 Sep 2022

Covid still kills, but the demographics of its victims are shifting

As California settles into a third year of pandemic, covid-19 continues to pose a serious threat of death. But the number of people dying — and the demographics of those falling victim — has shifted notably from the first two years.

21 Sep 2022

Clearing pollution helps clear the fog of aging — and may cut the risk of dementia

During the past decade, a growing body of research has shown that air pollution harms older adults' brains, contributing to cognitive decline and dementia. What hasn't been clear is whether improving air quality would benefit brain health.

20 Sep 2022

Private equity sees the billions in eye care as firms target high-profit procedures

Christina Green hoped cataract surgery would clear up her cloudy vision, which had worsened after she took a drug to fight her breast cancer.

19 Sep 2022

Daily multivitamin improves cognitive function in seniors

In a recent study published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, researchers in the United States investigated whether daily administration of a cocoa extract (CE, comprising 500 mg flavanols, including 80 mg epicatechins, 50 mg/day theobromine (50 mg/day), and 15mg/day caffeine) and/or an MVM (multivitamin-mineral) for three years protected cognitive functions among older men and women.

18 Sep 2022

Court ruling may spur competitive health plans to bring back copays for preventive services

Tom and Mary Jo York are a health-conscious couple, going in for annual physicals and periodic colorectal cancer screening tests. Mary Jo, whose mother and aunts had breast cancer, also gets regular mammography tests.

15 Sep 2022

COVID-19 risk substantially reduced in seniors who receive 4th mRNA booster

In a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers in Singapore estimated the effectiveness of the second booster (fourth dose) vaccination with messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines against symptomatic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and associated hospitalizations with among individuals aged ≥80 years.

14 Sep 2022

‘An Arm and a Leg’: The new cap on Medicare drug costs

On a Sunday afternoon in August, health services researcher Stacie Dusetzina was sitting alone in her office at Vanderbilt University, watching C-SPAN and crying.

12 Sep 2022

While inflation takes a toll on seniors, billions of dollars in benefits go unused

Millions of older adults are having trouble making ends meet, especially during these inflationary times. Yet many don't realize help is available, and some notable programs that offer financial assistance are underused.

12 Sep 2022

‘It’s becoming too expensive to live’: Anxious older adults try to cope with limited budgets

Economic insecurity is upending the lives of millions of older adults as soaring housing costs and inflation diminish the value of fixed incomes.

7 Sep 2022

$Multidisciplinary effort enhances care for older patients with hip fracture$

Multidisciplinary effort enhances care for older patients with hip fracture

A multidisciplinary effort to improve care for older patients who arrive at the emergency room with a hip fracture has decreased the time before they have surgery, shortened hospital stays, and resulted in better follow-up care, UT Southwestern physicians reported in Geriatric Nursing.

5 Sep 2022

Research shows how sensor-based health monitoring could help tackle age-related health problems

Specific changes in our movement patterns can be indicators of several health problems: For instance, decrease in strength often correlates with risk of falls, mild cognitive impairment, depression, sleep problems, respiratory problems, cardiac arrhythmias and increasing myocardial weakness or worsening of a COVID-19 infection.

30 Aug 2022

Higher-cost Medicare Advantage plan not linked to better quality health care for seniors

Enrolling in a higher-cost Medicare Advantage plan may not always get seniors better quality health care, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

29 Aug 2022

Her brother landed in a nursing home. She was sued over his bill.

Lucille Brooks was stunned to discover a nursing home in Monroe County, New York, was suing her. She had never been a patient there. Nor had her husband. "I thought this was crazy," she said, figuring it had to be a mistake.

18 Aug 2022