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Roundup: NYC examines solitary confinement alternatives for mentally ill inmates; Texas lawmakers push to modernize medical practices; N.C. cancer parity bill passes House

New York City will soon change the way mentally ill inmates are disciplined after breaking rules while in jail, creating alternatives to the more traditional approach of solitary confinement used for most inmates (Yee, 5/12).

14 May 2013

Research roundup: Out-of-pocket costs on individual market; Federal spending on mental health care; Underused Medicare benefit

Since many of the people who will gain insurance under the federal health law will likely get such individual plans through the state-based online marketplaces, or exchanges, researchers sought to identify the effects on vulnerable populations, some of whom with incomes above 400 percent of the poverty level and thus will not qualify for Medicaid or receive subsidies.

13 May 2013

Private insurers have cost Medicare almost $300 billion more over the life of the program

A study published online today finds that the private insurance companies that participate in Medicare under the Medicare Advantage program and its predecessors have cost the publicly funded program for the elderly and disabled an extra $282.6 billion since 1985, most of it over the past eight years. In 2012 alone, private insurers were overpaid $34.1 billion.

13 May 2013

New book proposes ways to help people see better with macular degeneration, low vision

Dr. Randolph C. Kinkade , a Connecticut optometrist and founding member of the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists, has written the Guide for Macular Degeneration Eyeglasses: Low Vision Treatment.

10 May 2013

Antidepressants can increase risk of C. difficile infection in depressed patients

Adults with depression and who receive certain types of anti-depressants have an increased risk of developing Clostridium difficile, a costly and serious hospital-associated infection, according to a new University of Michigan Health System study.

8 May 2013

First Edition: May 8, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about government data showing the wide variation in what hospitals charge Medicare patients for common inpatient procedures.

8 May 2013

UCLA research: Subway not much healthier alternative than McDonald's for adolescents

Subway may promote itself as the "healthy" fast food restaurant, but it might not be a much healthier alternative than McDonald's for adolescents, according to new UCLA research.

8 May 2013

Medicare studies: Payment cuts don't mean insurers pay more

Medicare payment cuts to hospitals don't necessarily mean private insurers end up paying more, one study finds. Another reports that unifying Medicare's benefits into a single plan could save the program $180 billion over 10 years, while lowering seniors' out-of-pocket costs.

8 May 2013

Despite outreach efforts, many eligible seniors are turning down health subsidy program

The Low Income Subsidy for Medicare Part D is a rare beast in economics research. The subsidy provides prescription drug coverage essentially free for low-income adults. That means it is what economists call a dominant option.

7 May 2013

Hospital leaders urge support for protecting health care providers from Medi-Cal cuts

Citing the real impact cutting the safety net would have on the most vulnerable residents, San Diego County Supervisors Greg Cox and Dianne Jacob joined with local hospital leaders today to call on the California Legislature and Governor Brown to spare hospital-based skilled-nursing facilities and other health care providers from devastating Medi-Cal cuts.

5 May 2013

Experts gather to lay out agenda to end childhood poverty

Pediatricians, economists, social scientists and policy experts will come together on Saturday, May 4, to address one of the greatest threats to child health - poverty.

4 May 2013

First Edition: May 3, 2013

Today's headlines include a variety of stories about the health law's implementation, including reports about the Medicaid expansion's red state prospects.

3 May 2013

MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program to continue for fourth year

The MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program - responsible for nearly 200 news stories by 48 alumni to date - will continue for a fourth year thanks to a grant renewal from the MetLife Foundation.

3 May 2013

Roundup: Calif. regulator says insurer's proposed rate hikes are 'unreasonable'; Iowa lawmakers push to deny abortion funding in Medicaid

California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said the nation's largest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc., is imposing unreasonable rate hikes on about 5,000 small businesses. Jones said Wednesday that UnitedHealth couldn't justify the average annual increase of nearly 8 percent, which reflects both higher premiums and a reduction in benefits (Terhune, 5/1).

3 May 2013

UAB study evaluates crash risk for elderly drivers who always drive with pets

Senior drivers who always take a pet in the car are at increased risk for being involved in a motor vehicle collision, said University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers.

3 May 2013

New study shows that exercise does not worsen pain associated with fibromyalgia

For many people who have fibromyalgia, even the thought of exercising is painful. Yet a new study from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center shows that exercise does not worsen the pain associated with the disorder and may even lessen it over time.

3 May 2013

Playing video games slows mental decay in older people, study finds

There may be a way for older people to prevent natural aging of their minds, and it could be as simple as playing a video game.

2 May 2013

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

Elderly patients who receive anesthesia are no more likely to develop long-term dementia or Alzheimer's disease than other seniors, according to new Mayo Clinic research.

2 May 2013

Viewpoints: Bowles, Simpson renew push for 'grand bargain;' The debate on FDA oversight of pharmacies; Kasich and feds work to find formula for Medicaid expansion

To be sure, some progress has been made the past two years. Policymakers have enacted about $2.7 trillion in deficit reduction, primarily through cuts in discretionary spending and higher taxes on wealthy individuals. Yet what we have achieved so far is insufficient.

30 Apr 2013

UCSF study focuses on vexing problems of handling skin cancers among elderly patients

Surgery is often recommended for skin cancers, but older, sicker patients can endure complications as a result and may not live long enough to benefit from the treatment.

30 Apr 2013

Seniors News and Research

Roundup: NYC examines solitary confinement alternatives for mentally ill inmates; Texas lawmakers push to modernize medical practices; N.C. cancer parity bill passes House

Research roundup: Out-of-pocket costs on individual market; Federal spending on mental health care; Underused Medicare benefit

Private insurers have cost Medicare almost $300 billion more over the life of the program

New book proposes ways to help people see better with macular degeneration, low vision

Antidepressants can increase risk of C. difficile infection in depressed patients

First Edition: May 8, 2013

UCLA research: Subway not much healthier alternative than McDonald's for adolescents

Medicare studies: Payment cuts don't mean insurers pay more

Despite outreach efforts, many eligible seniors are turning down health subsidy program

Hospital leaders urge support for protecting health care providers from Medi-Cal cuts

Experts gather to lay out agenda to end childhood poverty

First Edition: May 3, 2013

MetLife Foundation Journalists in Aging Fellows Program to continue for fourth year

Roundup: Calif. regulator says insurer's proposed rate hikes are 'unreasonable'; Iowa lawmakers push to deny abortion funding in Medicaid

UAB study evaluates crash risk for elderly drivers who always drive with pets

New study shows that exercise does not worsen pain associated with fibromyalgia

Playing video games slows mental decay in older people, study finds

Receiving general anesthesia not associated with dementia in elderly patients, research finds

Viewpoints: Bowles, Simpson renew push for 'grand bargain;' The debate on FDA oversight of pharmacies; Kasich and feds work to find formula for Medicaid expansion

UCSF study focuses on vexing problems of handling skin cancers among elderly patients

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