News
Welcome to Our Hub
April 29, 2013We're pleased to announce our new Social Media Hub at www.socialsecurity.gov/socialmedia. The hub will fill you in on how easy it is to sign up for free e-mails and texts that keep you informed when we update our web pages, as well as how you can connect with Social Security on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest. You also can get information about our webinars, podcasts, and photoblog. You can find the Social Media Hub and so much more directly off of our home page
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New Video on How Social Security Can Help with Retirement Planning
April 29, 2013The latest video on our webinar page will be of great interest to people who are planning for their retirement — whether it is coming soon or in the distant future. Understanding the role that Social Security plays in retirement planning is vital to a comfortable retirement. In addition, knowing the planning tools and other help that's available from Social Security makes planning so much easier.
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Third Anniversary of Affordable Health Care Act
April 1, 2013Many people who receive Social Security also get Medicare benefits. But retirees younger than age 65 and Social Security disability beneficiaries in the first 24 months they receive benefits are not eligible for Medicare. For them and other people who need affordable health care, it's good to know about the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Even people who are covered by Medicare or other medical insurance can benefit from the ACA. Tell your clients to take health care into their own hands by visiting www.healthcare.gov to learn more about the options available under the ACA.
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Seniors saved over $6 billion on prescription drugs as a result of the health care law
March 21, 2013As the third anniversary of the Affordable Care Act approaches, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today more than 6.3 million people with Medicare saved over $6.1 billion on prescription drugs because of the health care law. "By making prescription drugs more affordable, the Affordable Care Act is improving and promoting the best care for people with Medicare," Secretary Sebelius said. The Affordable Care Act makes Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D) more affordable by gradually closing the gap in coverage where beneficiaries must pay the full cost of their prescriptions out of pocket. This gap is known as the donut hole. People with Medicare in the donut hole now receive discounts when they purchase prescription drugs at a pharmacy or order them through the mail, until they reach the catastrophic coverage phase.
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Social Security Announces New Online Services Available with a my Social Security Account
January 7, 2013Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced the agency is expanding the services available with a my Social Security account, a personalized online account that people can use beginning in their working years and continuing throughout the time they receive Social Security benefits. More than 60 million Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients can now access their benefit verification letter, payment history, and earnings record instantly using their online account. Social Security beneficiaries also can change their address and start or change direct deposit information online.
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Social Security Announces New Compassionate Allowances Conditions Fast Track Disability Process Will Now Include 200 Conditions
December 6, 2012Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 35 additional Compassionate Allowances conditions are in effect, bringing the total number of conditions in the expedited disability process to 200. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. The program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children.
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Seniors learn some things from prescription drug advertisements, but can also be misled
December 5, 2012Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs to consumers is currently only permitted in the United States and New Zealand, where it remains controversial. Proponents of DTCA claim that advertisements help inform consumers and facilitate their involvement in clinical decisions about prescription drugs. A study examined 15 seniors' perceptions of 9 television ads to understand how the ads might help consumers make informed decisions about prescription drugs. Four themes emerged from the interviews of the 15 seniors: (1)Awareness of medications was increased; (2)Information was missing or misleading and drugs were often perceived as more effective than evidence would suggest; (3)Most seniors were more strongly influenced by personal or vicarious experience with a drug—and by their physician—than by DTCA; and, (4)Most seniors were circumspect about the information in commercial DTCA. The researchers concluded that there was some potential for benefit from DTCA, but there were also critical shortcomings of the current ad format. They identified several ways in which advertisements could be improved to better facilitate informed decisionmaking, such as inclusion of the importance of lifestyle changes in the ads, and legislative action to improve utility of DTCA. They also recommended comprehensive counseling by physicians prior to prescribing new drugs to patients to clarify any misperceptions.
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Integrated Social Services is Key Component in Senior Independence
November 21, 2012Without the Lighthouse Program, 93-year-old Nannie Edwards wouldn’t be able to stay in her home. The West Virginia Bureau of Senior Services program offers home-based daily living assistance that makes it possible for Edwards to remain independent. Edwards is among 57.8 million American seniors 60 and older who need home-based, long-term support. "Survey after survey has shown that nine out of 10 older adults want to live out their lives in their homes," says Lenard W. Kaye, Director of the University of Maine Center on Aging. "Home-based social services programs provide the support seniors need to do that. Research has proven that older adults with chronic conditions and disabilities maintain a more stable state when they receive assistance at home." Demand for community-based programs that help elderly age in place is increasing as the nation's aging population continues to swell. By 2030, the number of Americans aged 65 and older is projected to be more than twice the over-65 population in 2000, increasing from 35 million to 72 million. According to the Administration on Aging (AoA), 27 percent of Americans over 60 have difficulty performing at least one activity of daily living. By age 85, 50 percent need assistance with two or more activities of daily living.
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Telehealth Programs Allow More Rural Seniors to Live at Home
November 21, 2012Revolutionary telehealth approaches across the United States are helping senior citizens continue to live independently in their own homes. In five Midwest states, a research project underway uses advanced telehealth capabilities and motion sensors to track and electronically report residents' daily vitals and changes in trends. In Kansas, integrating telehealth with home nursing care and social service supports has decreased hospital and nursing home admissions. In New York State, short-term home telehealth intervention is helping seniors with chronic diseases manage flare-ups that jeopardize their ability to remain at home.
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Long-Term Care for Older Adults: A Review of Home and Community-Based Services Versus Institutional Care
November 21, 2012This report is based on research conducted by the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Rockville, MD (Contract No. 290-2007-10064-I). The information in this report is intended to help health care decisionmakers—patients and clinicians, health system leaders and policymakers, among others—make well-informed decisions and thereby improve the quality of health care services. This report is not intended to be a substitute for the application of clinical judgment. Anyone who makes decisions concerning the provision of clinical care should consider this report in the same way as any medical reference and in conjunction with all other pertinent information, i.e., in the context of available resources and circumstances presented by individual patients.
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Older Low-Income Americans Eligible for Both Medicare and Medicaid
October 17, 2012Dear friend: Older low-income Americans are often eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Those who are eligible for both programs face some additional challenges in understanding where the two programs overlap and where there are gaps. In this month's Health Advocate, NHeLP attorney David Machledt breaks down everything you need to know about those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. We hope you enjoy this issue and, as always, you can reach us at nhelp@healthlaw.org. Sincerely, Emily Spitzer. The National Health Law Program protects and advances the health rights of low income and underserved individuals. The oldest non-profit of its kind, NHeLP advocates, educates and litigates at the federal and state levels.
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Social Security Announces 1.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2013
October 16, 2012Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for nearly 62 million Americans will increase 1.7 percent in 2013, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 1.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that more than 56 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2013. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 31, 2012. Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $113,700 from $110,100. Of the estimated 163 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2013, nearly 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum. Information about Medicare changes for 2013, when announced, will be available at www.Medicare.gov. For some beneficiaries, their Social Security increase may be partially or completely offset by increases in Medicare premiums. The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated.
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Electronic Payments: the Best (and Soon Only) Way to Get Benefits
September 28, 2012A Department of the Treasury rule with a fast approaching deadline requires most Federal benefit payments be made electronically instead of by paper check. With a few exceptions, this March 1, 2013 mandate includes Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Affairs, Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Personnel Management benefits, and other non-tax payments. Currently, more than 94 percent of Social Security beneficiaries and nearly 83 percent of SSI beneficiaries receive their monthly benefits electronically, the safest and most reliable method of payment delivery. People still getting paper checks have the option of direct deposit to a financial institution account of their choice or Treasury's Direct Express® debit card program. Learn more about the advantages of receiving benefits electronically, and sign-up today at www.godirect.org.
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Population Aging Will Have Long-Term Implications for Economy; Major Policy Changes Needed
September 26, 2012The aging of the U.S. population will have broad economic consequences for the country, particularly for federal programs that support the elderly, and its long-term effects on all generations will be mediated by how -- and how quickly -- the nation responds, says a new congressionally mandated report from the National Research Council. The unprecedented demographic shift in which people over age 65 make up an increasingly large percentage of the population is not a temporary phenomenon associated with the aging of the baby boom generation, but a pervasive trend that is here to stay. "The bottom line is that the nation has many good options for responding to population aging," said Roger Ferguson, CEO of TIAA-CREF and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report. "Nonetheless, there is little doubt that there will need to be major changes in the structure of federal programs, particularly those for health. The transition to sustainable policies will be smoother and less costly if steps are taken sooner rather than later." Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are on unsustainable paths, and the failure to remedy the situation raises a number of economic risks, the report says. Together, the cost of the three programs currently amounts to roughly 40 percent of all federal spending and 10 percent of the nation's gross domestic product. Because of overall longer life expectancy and lower birth rates, these programs will have more beneficiaries with relatively fewer workers contributing to support them in the coming decades. Combined with soaring health care costs, population aging will drive up public health care expenditures and demand an ever-larger fraction of national resources.
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The Role of Healthy Lifestyles in Healthy Aging
September 21, 2012"Healthy aging" refers to both the quality and quantity of life-adding life to our years and years to our life. The anthropologist Ashley Montagu once said, "The best way to age is to die young as late as possible." Living longer without illness is a goal for most people. Healthy aging is influenced by genetics, as well as by lifestyle factors such as being physically active, not smoking, and maintaining body weight within a normal range.
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THE TOP FIVE THINGS SENIORS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
September 21, 2012The Affordable Care Act – the health care law – gives seniors the security they need and important new benefits. Signed into law in March of 2010, it will save money for seniors and ensure people with Medicare can see the doctor they know and trust.
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Lifeline Awareness Week 2012 - September 10-14, 2012
September 12, 2012The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would like to ensure that you and your constituents are informed about recent reforms to the Lifeline Program. There are a few important messages about the program that we would like to highlight: • Lifeline is available only to eligible consumers. To see if a consumer is eligible, visit www.lifelinesupport.org • Eligible consumers may receive only ONE discount per household and they must decide whether that discount is applied to their wireline or wireless service. Federal rules prohibit consumers from receiving more than one Lifeline service. • If a consumer or his or her household currently has more than one Lifeline discounted service, they must select a single provider immediately or be subject to penalties. • In order to enroll in Lifeline, potential subscribers must demonstrate their eligibility by showing proof of income or participation in a qualifying program. • All Lifeline subscribers must annually recertify their eligibility. In late 2012, all 17 million Lifeline subscribers will be contacted by their service provider to re-confirm that they remain eligible in the program. • Learn more in a webinar Wednesday, September 12 at 2:00pm EST. Register at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/790503623 Information about the Lifeline Program is available at http://www.fcc.gov/lifeline/outreach. For information about eligibility, how to apply for Lifeline benefits, or what to do if a household is receiving more than one Lifeline discount, visit the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) website at www.lifelinesupport.org. You may also call the FCC at 1-888-225-5322.
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New resources help older Americans and people with disabilities maintain their independence
September 11, 2012Seniors, people with disabilities and their families get assistance from local resource centers Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $12.5 million in awards to Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) to support older Americans and people with disabilities stay independent and receive long-term services and supports. These grants, funded by the Affordable Care Act and the Older Americans Act, support counselors who help individuals and their caregivers identify and access long-term services and supports, regardless of income or financial assets.
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Wheeler Sept. 10-11 conference on aging in Montana to be streamed and available on Web
August 22, 2012For the first time ever, residents across Montana will be able to participate in a Sept. 10-11 Wheeler Center conference when a forum on the graying of Montana is streamed live via the Web and screened at four state-wide viewing sites. "The Graying of Montana," a two-day discussion about how Montana's aging population is likely to affect the state's priorities in the coming years, will be held Sept. 10 and 11 at the Red Lion Colonial Inn in Helena. Co-sponsored by the Burton K. Wheeler Center, based at Montana State University, and One Montana, the conference will focus on the findings of Montana University System economists regarding the impacts of Montana's steadily aging population. The conference will also detail the ramifications to healthcare, education, infrastructure and other aspects of eldercare in the state with more than 20 speakers from Montana and other areas of the country.
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How Aging Affects Driving
August 21, 2012As people get older, their driving patterns change. Retirement, different schedules, and new activities affect when and where they drive. Most older adults drive safely because they have a lot of experience behind the wheel. But when they are involved in crashes, they are often hurt more seriously than younger drivers. Age-related declines in vision, hearing, and other abilities, as well as certain health conditions and medications, can affect driving skills.
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Federal report details health, economic status of older Americans
August 15, 2012Today's older Americans enjoy longer lives and better physical function than did previous generations, although, for some, an increased burden in housing costs and rising obesity may compromise these gains, according to a comprehensive federal look at aging. The report, Older Americans 2012: Key Indicators of Well-Being, tracks trends at regular intervals to see how older people are faring as the U.S. population grows older. In 2010, 40 million people age 65 and over accounted for 13 percent of the total population in the United States. In 2030, the number and proportion of older Americans is expected to grow significantly - to 72 million, representing nearly 20 percent of the population said the report, by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Older Americans 2012, the sixth report prepared by the Forum since 2000, provides an updated and accessible compendium of indicators, drawn from official statistics about the well-being of Americans primarily age 65 and older. The 176-page report provides a broad description of areas of well-being that are improving for older Americans and those that are not. Thirty-seven key indicators are categorized into five broad areas - population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care. This year's report also includes a special feature on the end of life.
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Major pharmacies to tout benefits of healthcare reform law for seniors
August 15, 2012By Elise Viebeck; Healthwatch, August 15, 2012. Prominent pharmacies such as CVS Caremark and Walgreens will promote the healthcare reform law's benefits for seniors, federal health officials announced. The joint effort between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and major pharmacy chains means Medicare beneficiaries will have better access to details about the administration's health law, HHS stated. The information will be available in brochures or, in the case of Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, online. "Our pharmacy partners are helping their customers make informed healthcare decisions," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Wednesday at a CVS location in Jacksonville, Fla. Opinion remains divided on the Affordable Care Act, which the Obama administration continues to tout. The Supreme Court upheld most of the law on June 28. "These partnerships will help people with Medicare learn more about new preventive services such as mammograms and the new Annual Wellness visit that are available at no charge for everyone with Medicare," Sebelius said. Participating retailers are CVS, Walgreens, Thrifty White, Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Under the Affordable Care Act, people enrolled in Medicare are eligible for free preventive medical services. Some are also saving more on prescription drugs.
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Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Food and Nutrition for Older Adults: Promoting Health and Wellness
August 1, 2012It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that all Americans aged 60 years and older receive appropriate nutrition care; have access to coordinated, comprehensive food and nutrition services; and receive the benefits of ongoing research to identify the most effective food and nutrition programs, interventions, and therapies. Health, physiologic, and functional changes associated with the aging process can influence nutrition needs and nutrient intake. The practice of nutrition for older adults is no longer limited to those who are frail, malnourished, and ill. The population of adults older than age 60 years includes many individuals who are living healthy, vital lives with a variety of nutrition-related circumstances and environments. Access and availability of wholesome, nutritious food is essential to ensure successful aging and well-being for the rapidly growing, heterogeneous, multiracial, and ethnic population of older adults. To ensure successful aging and minimize the effects of disease and disability, a wide range of flexible dietary recommendations, culturally sensitive food and nutrition services, physical activities, and supportive care tailored to older adults are necessary. National, state, and local strategies that promote access to coordinated food and nutrition services are essential to maintain independence, functional ability, disease management, and quality of life. Those working with older adults must be proactive in demonstrating the value of comprehensive food and nutrition services. To meet the needs of all older adults, registered dietitians and dietetic technicians, registered, must widen their scope of practice to include prevention, treatment, and maintenance of health and quality of life into old age.
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New Tutorial: Long-Term Care 101
July 18, 2012In this new tutorial, Jhamirah Howard, formerly of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, provides an overview of long-term care financing within the United States health care system. In addition to explaining what long-term care is, and who uses these services, this tutorial also describes the different long-term care settings, such as nursing homes and home- and community-based care. With a particular focus on Medicaid as the primary payer, Howard also explores how much long-term care services cost and who is responsible for the payment of these services.
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Hyperthermia: too hot for your health
June 27, 2012Hot summer weather can pose special health risks to older adults. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known as hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is an abnormally high body temperature caused by a failure of the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body to deal with the heat coming from the environment. Heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after prolonged exposure to the heat), heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are commonly known forms of hyperthermia. Risk for these conditions can increase with the combination of outside temperature, general health and individual lifestyle.
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Loneliness lethal for seniors, UCSF study says
June 19, 2012Feeling lonely always hurts, but when it comes to the elderly, it may actually contribute to failing health or an early death, UCSF researchers say. In a study of 1,600 seniors, the results of which were published Tuesday in the Archives of Internal Medicine, doctors found that people who reported being lonely were more likely to suffer a decline in health or die over a six-year period than those who were content with their social lives.
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AARP Partners With Microsoft HealthVault To Offer PHR Platform
June 7, 2012AARP has announced that it is partnering with Microsoft HealthVault to launch the AARP Health Record, an online personal health record for people age 50 and older, Healthcare IT News reports. Microsoft HealthVault is an online platform that lets users compile personal health data from several sources and store the information in a single location. AARP officials said the PHR project is part of the organization's broader effort to offer more online tools and services to seniors. The AARP Health Record aims to help users track and manage basic health data, including: (a) Blood type; (b) Drug allergies; (c) Medication; and (d) Personal health history. Users also will be able to print wallet-sized cards detailing their vital health statistics.
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HHS announces availability of funding to help older adults, people with disabilities
May 31, 2012Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced a new $25 million funding opportunity made possible by the Affordable Care Act to help states strengthen and expand their ability to help seniors and people with disabilities access home and community-based long-term services and supports. Over the next one to three years, funding will support Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs) in nearly every state. Each year, more seniors, people with disabilities and their families are confronted with often challenging decisions about how to obtain the long-term services and supports they need. Choices range from care in their home to care in a nursing home; social supports for daily living to home health care; transportation to physical therapy to name a few. ADRCs will make it easier for people to learn about and access the services that are available in their communities and best meet their needs.
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States Encounter Obstacles Moving Elderly And Disabled Into Community
May 24, 2012A multi-billion dollar federal initiative to move low-income elderly and disabled people from long-term care facilities into the community has fallen far short of its goals, as many states have struggled to cobble together housing and other services. Launched in 2007 during the Bush administration, the states initially projected placing 35,380 Medicaid recipients in the first five years. As of March 31 at least 22,500 had made the transition, about 36 percent below the states' target. The numbers vary sharply by state. Some, such as Texas and Ohio, have helped thousands find homes in their communities. Others, including North Carolina, Missouri and Kentucky, have moved fewer than 500 each.
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Long-Term Care Partnership Insurance in Montana
May 9, 2012Long-term care means helping people of any age with their medical needs or daily activities over a long period of time. It includes a wide variety of services and support that can be provided in your home, an adult day care, or in other living arrangements, such as continuing care retirement communities, home health, assisted living facilities, or nursing homes. Montana State University (MSU) Extension has produced a self-learning resource (MontGuide) that provides basic information about the Montana long-term care partnership insurance program, tax benefits, and shopping tips. Copies of the MontGuide will soon be available at local MSU Extension Offices.
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Social Security Statement Now Available Online at www.socialsecurity.gov
May 1, 2012Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced an online version of the Social Security Statement is now available at www.socialsecurity.gov. The new online Statement provides eligible workers with secure and convenient access to their Social Security earnings and benefit information. “Our new online Social Security Statement is simple, easy-to-use and provides people with estimates they can use to plan for their retirement,” Commissioner Astrue said. The online Statement also provides estimates for disability and survivors benefits, making the Statement an important financial planning tool. People should get in the habit of checking their online Statement each year, around their birthday, for example.” In addition to helping with financial planning, the online Statement also provides workers a convenient way to determine whether their earnings are accurately posted to their Social Security records. This feature is important because Social Security benefits are based on average earnings over a person’s lifetime. If the earnings information is not accurate, the person may not receive all the benefits to which he or she is entitled. The online Statement also provides the opportunity to save or print the personalized Statement for financial planning discussions with family or a financial planner.
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Talking About Medicare: Your Guide to Understanding the Program, 2012
April 26, 2012Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and for some younger adults with permanent disabilities and medical conditions. Prior to 1965, the year in which the Medicare program was established, about half of all seniors lacked health insurance. Today, virtually all people 65 and older have coverage under Medicare, and are eligible for this coverage without regard to their income or medical history. Medicare currently provides health insurance coverage for nearly 50 million Americans. Even with Medicare, people face many choices when they enroll in the program, and each year thereafter. The Kaiser Family Foundation has updated its online consumer guide, "Talking About Medicare." The guide is intended to provide answers to some basic questions related to Medicare coverage, as well as information to help you make decisions on a range of topics related to enrollment, plan choices and prescription drug coverage. The Additional Resources section of this guide provides a state-by-state list of key agencies that can answer specific questions about Medicare, Medicaid, supplemental health insurance, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, and long-term care.
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Second Draft - National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease
April 13, 2012On January 4, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), requiring the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the National Alzheimer’s Project. The Second Draft National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease is now available. The draft National Plan is structured around five ambitious goals: (a) Prevent and Effectively Treat Alzheimer's Disease by 2025; (b) Optimize Care Quality and Efficiency; (c) Expand Supports for People with Alzheimer's Disease and Their Families; (d) Enhance Public Awareness and Engagement; (e) Track Progress and Drive Improvement.
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7 Social Security Sins by Maryalene LaPonsie | Money Rates Columnist
April 25, 2012Since the first payment was made in January 1937, Social Security has provided a safety net and source of reliable income for retired workers, their spouses and dependents. But getting the most from your Social Security benefits is not always a simple matter of filing as soon as you're eligible. While you can begin collecting Social Security as young as age 62, your benefits will be smaller than if you had waited to full retirement age (66) or later. But while waiting longer can mean more money monthly, it may result in less money overall if you die early, so selecting the right age to file is a critical component to maximizing your benefits.
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Medicare covers screening and counseling for obesity
December 1, 2011The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has week issued a national coverage decision adding obesity screening and counseling to the primary care preventive services covered by Medicare. For beneficiaries who screen positive for obesity with a body mass index of 30 or more, the benefit will cover one face-to-face counseling visit every week for one month and then every other week for an additional five months. Beneficiaries who achieve a weight reduction of at least 6.6 pounds during the first six months of counseling may receive a monthly counseling visit for an additional six months. According to CMS, more than 30% of Medicare beneficiaries are estimated to be obese.
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Improving Health Literacy Within a State - Workshop Summary
November 22, 2011Nearly half of all American adults lack health literacy – an individual’s ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information. In order to improve knowledge among these 90 million people, the IOM’s Roundtable on Health Literacy, along with the UCLA Anderson School of Management, held a workshop on November 30, 2010, to explore ways in which state-based organizations and individuals can work to improve health literacy. At the workshop, speakers discussed the clinical effects of health literacy improvement efforts, the economic outcomes of health literacy implementation, and the impact that various stakeholders can have on health literacy. The roundtable brings together leaders from the federal government, foundations, health plans, associations, and private companies to discuss challenges related to health literacy and to identify approaches to promote health literacy in both the public and private sectors. This document summarizes the workshop.
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HHS expands initiative to protect Medicare and seniors from fraud
November 22, 2011The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the award of $9 million from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to help Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) programs across the nation continue their work fighting Medicare fraud. This is part of President Obama’s initiative to educate people with Medicare about how to protect themselves and Medicare from fraud. SMPs rely on approximately 5,000 volunteers nationwide to enhance their efforts. The SMP program is operated by the Administration on Aging (AoA) in close partnership with CMS and the HHS Office of Inspector General. In June 2010, CMS announced funding for the SMP expansion initiative in conjunction with President Obama’s appearance at a senior center in Wheaton, Md., along with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The 2011 grants will provide additional funds for SMPs to increase awareness among Medicare beneficiaries about how to prevent, detect, and report health care fraud. Increased funding levels for states identified with high-fraud areas will support additional targeted strategies for collaboration, media outreach and referrals. The Administration on Aging will continue to administer these grants in partnership with CMS.
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COPD awareness continues to rise, new NIH survey finds
November 21, 2011Awareness of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the nation’s third leading killer, continues to rise in the United States, according to the results of a Web-based survey released today by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Seventy-one percent of surveyed adults said they are aware of COPD, compared with 65 percent in 2008. Awareness among those most at risk — current and former smokers — increased even more. Among current smokers, awareness rose to 78 percent, up from 69 percent in 2008. Awareness among former smokers rose to 76 percent, up from 68 percent in 2008. COPD is a serious lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe and can cause long-term disability and death. The condition is estimated to affect 24 million men and women in the United States — but as many as half of them remain undiagnosed. November marks COPD Awareness Month.
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NIH-commissioned Census Bureau report describes oldest Americans
November 17, 2011In 2010, there were 1.9 million people aged 90 and older; by 2050, the ranks of people 90 and older may reach 9 million, according to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau, commissioned by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health. The report describes this rapidly growing segment of the population which suggests that the designation of oldest-old should be changed from 85 to 90 years. The report, 90+ in the United States: 2006–2008, details the demographic, health and economic status of America's oldest adults.
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Stay Strong, Stay Healthy DVD
November 10, 2011Stay Strong, Stay Healthy (SSSH) is a 10-week strength-training program for middle-aged and older adults. SSSH is modeled after the evidence-based StrongWomen program developed by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science at Tufts University. This DVD takes you through the eight prescribed sets of upper- and lower-body exercises done in a SSSH class. The DVD also includes an introduction, warm-up and additional exercises.
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Health Fraud Scams
November 8, 2011Health fraud scams refer to products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure diseases or other health conditions, but are not proven safe and effective for those uses. Health fraud scams waste money and can lead to delays in getting proper diagnosis and treatment. They can also cause serious or even fatal injuries. Watch this video to learn more.
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Seniors Get a Break On Medicare Part B Premiums
October 28, 2011Part B premiums for Medicare beneficiaries will rise less than originally anticipated next year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday. For most beneficiaries, premiums will be $99.90 a month in 2012, a $3.50 increase over the $96.40 paid this year by a majority of elderly and disabled beneficiaries. Part B pays for physician visits, hospital outpatient costs and certain other services. Earlier this year, Medicare trustees had predicted that Part B premiums would increase to $106.60 next year.
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Affordable Care Act to help improve care for Medicare beneficiaries
October 24, 2011Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 500 community health centers in 44 States across the country will receive approximately $42 million over three years to improve the coordination and quality of care they deliver to people with Medicare and other patients, the Department of Health and Human Services announced today. “Health centers are integral parts of our communities,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Donald M. Berwick, M.D. “This initiative will give participating health centers the help they need to improve care for many people with Medicare who rely on them as their main source of care.” Under this Advanced Primary Care Practice demonstration, created by the Affordable Care Act, Medicare will pay community health centers based on the quality of care they deliver. This improved payment system will reward clinics for such things as helping patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. In addition, health centers will use this funding to expand their hours, make same day appointments and accommodate patients with urgent care needs.
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Medicare covers alcohol misuse, depression screenings
October 21, 2011Medicare recently added annual primary care screenings for alcohol misuse and depression to covered preventive services. Under the national coverage determinations, Medicare will cover alcohol misuse screening by a primary care provider and four behavioral counseling sessions if a beneficiary screens positive for alcohol misuse. Annual screening for depression is covered in primary care settings that have staff resources to follow up with appropriate treatment and referrals. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, about one in six Americans aged 65 and older suffers from depression. Alcohol misuse is linked to cancer, liver and heart disease as well as mental and emotional problems.
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Alzheimer's Disease and CAM: What the Science Says
October 21, 2011According to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer's disease affects nearly 4.5 million Americans and is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Alzheimer's disease is an incurable disease with a slow progression beginning with mild memory loss and ending with severe brain damage and death. While no treatment is proven to stop Alzheimer's disease, some conventional drugs may limit symptoms for a short period of time in the early stages of the disease. Research on several dietary supplements is ongoing to determine whether they are effective in preventing or slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
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Webinar: Provider Orders for Life- Sustaining Treatment (POLST)
October 20, 2011On Tuesday, November 1 a Webinar will be presented from 9:00 to 10:00 AM about a new program in Montana called Provider Orders for Life- Sustaining Treatment. This is a part of the FCS Specialists Updates. You are welcome to attend and to invite others in your community whom you think would be interested in the topic. POLST gives you control over your medical treatments near the end of life. Once a POLST form is signed by you and your physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant, it is recognized as an actual medical order that will be honored by all Montana health care providers. During the session information about the POLST form that was revised last summer will be shared. A MontGuide, co-authored with MSU Extension Agents Virginia Knerr (Broadwater) and Linda Williams (Chouteau), containing details about POLST will be introduced during the session.
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New Go4Life campaign focuses on fitness for older adults
October 19, 2011Being physically active is vital to maintaining health and independence as we age, and a new federal campaign for people 50 and older will help them to get active and keep going. Introduced today by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Go4Life campaign encourages sedentary older adults to reap health benefits by making physical activity part of their daily lives. Only 25 percent of people aged 65-74 say they engage in regular physical activity. Go4Life was presented Oct. 19, 2011, at a briefing on exercise and aging on Capitol Hill, hosted by Herb Kohl, D-Wis., Chair of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and by Mark Udall, D-Colo., Senate Special Committee on Aging. The briefing highlighted the public-private partnership central to the campaign — a Go4Life team that will work to bring the campaign into communities across the United States. The team includes NIH, other agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and national organizations, corporations, insurers, health care providers, and nonprofit organizations.
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Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2012
October 19, 2011Monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for more than 60 million Americans will increase 3.6 percent in 2012, the Social Security Administration announced today. The 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits that nearly 55 million Social Security beneficiaries receive in January 2012. Increased payments to more than 8 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2011. Some other changes that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $110,100 from $106,800. Of the estimated 161 million workers who will pay Social Security taxes in 2012, about 10 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase in the taxable maximum.
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Medicare Releases Patient Safety Ratings For Hospitals
October 17, 2011Medicare has begun publishing patient safety ratings for thousands of hospitals as the first step toward paying less to institutions with high rates of surgical complications, infections, mishaps and potentially avoidable deaths. The new data, available starting last week on Medicare's Hospital Compare website, evaluate hospitals on how often their patients suffer complications such as a collapsed lung, a blood clot after surgery or an accidental cut or tear during treatment. The measures also include specific death rates for patients who had breathing problems after surgery, had an operation to repair a weakness in the abdominal aorta or had a treatable complication after an operation. In addition, Hospital Compare is evaluating rates of some specific medical errors, such as giving patients the wrong type of blood, leaving surgical implements in patients' bodies during surgery and falls that occur during their stay.
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Vaccination is the Best Protection Against the Flu
October 14, 2011The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging everyone 6 months of age and older to get vaccinated against the seasonal flu. The risks for complications, hospitalizations, and deaths from the flu are higher among individuals aged 65 years and older. Medicare pays for the seasonal flu vaccine and its administration for seniors and others with Medicare with no co-pay or deductible. And remember, vaccination is particularly important for healthcare workers, who may spread the flu to high-risk patients; don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccination – Not the Flu. Remember – The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug.
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National Eye Institute urges older Americans to protect their vision
October 13, 2011Older people are at increased risk of several eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataracts, and glaucoma. AMD can cause profound loss of central vision due to the breakdown of the eye’s light-sensing cells in the retina. Cataracts cloud vision through clumping of proteins in the eye’s lens. Glaucoma damages the optic nerve often due to increased pressure in the eye. The increase in type 2 diabetes, which is more common in older Americans and especially minorities, means many more are at high risk for diabetic retinopathy, a disease that impairs vision due to diabetes-related injury to the eye's blood vessels. As a part of the National Institutes of Health, the NEI conducts and supports research of blinding eye diseases, visual disorders, mechanisms of visual function, preservation of sight, and the special health problems and requirements of the blind. The importance of early identification of age-related eye disease cannot be overstated. Early stages of these diseases often have no symptoms, which is why dilated eye exams are crucial to catching eye disease before permanent vision loss occurs. People who experience a sudden change in vision, such as blurriness, should see a doctor immediately. Due to the efforts of the NEI and others, during the past decade treatments for common eye diseases have substantially improved.
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Medicare Open Enrollment begins Saturday -- seniors have more benefits, better choices, lower costs
October 12, 2011With more benefits, better choices and lower costs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is encouraging people with Medicare and their families to begin reviewing drug and health plan coverage options for 2012. The Medicare Open Enrollment Period -- which begins earlier this year on Saturday, October 15 – has been expanded to last seven weeks and will end on December 7. This will give seniors and people with disabilities more time to compare and find the best plan that meets their unique needs. Across the country, HHS officials will hold 150 events in the days leading up to Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period to inform and educate people with Medicare.
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More people using free preventive benefits provided by Affordable Care
October 6, 2011The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reported today that nearly 20.5 million people with Medicare reviewed their health status at a free Annual Wellness Visit or received other preventive services with no deductible or cost sharing this year. In addition, nearly 1.8 million people with Medicare have received discounts on brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D coverage gap, also known as the "donut hole," between January and August of this year. The total value of discounts to people with Medicare in the donut hole is nearly $1 billion through August of this year, with an average savings of $530 per beneficiary. “Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more people with Medicare are getting preventive services like mammograms for free,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “The new health care law is also making prescription drugs more affordable for millions of seniors and people with disabilities.” Some of the free preventive services available to people with Medicare include: * Mammograms and cervical cancer screenings * Annual Wellness Visit * Cholesterol and other cardiovascular screenings * Colorectal and prostate cancer screenings
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Plain Language Medical Dictionary
September 26, 2011The Plain Language Medical Dictionary widget is a project of the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library as part of the Michigan Health Literacy Awareness project. To use, click on the drop down menu to browse the list of high-level medical terms. Once a word or phrase is selected, the plain language translation will appear in the box.
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Funding for Mobile Health Efforts Targeting Seniors with Chronic Conditions
September 23, 2011In August, the Center for Technology and Aging awarded a total of $477,150 to five organizations for efforts to demonstrate how mobile health technology could improve care for older adults with chronic conditions. The grants are partially funded by the SCAN Foundation, and the initiative also is receiving support from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. The grant recipients will use the funding for a variety of projects. For example, San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare is piloting a program to remotely monitor patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Your health depends on good communication
September 23, 2011Asking questions and providing information to your doctor and other care providers can improve your care. Talking with your doctor builds trust and leads to better results, quality, safety, and satisfaction. Quality health care is a team effort. You play an important role. One of the best ways to communicate with your doctor and health care team is by asking questions. Because time is limited during medical appointments, you will feel less rushed if you prepare your questions before your appointment. A simple question can help you feel better, let you take better care of yourself, or save your life. The basic 10 questions on this website can get you started.
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Affordable Care Act delivers lower costs to more seniors with Medicare
September 8, 2011Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that more seniors and people with disabilities on Medicare are seeing reduced costs for important health care -- through both discounts on brand-name drugs in the Medicare Part D "donut hole" coverage gap and free preventive care. "Today's news confirms that the Affordable Care Act is saving money for millions of seniors and people with disabilities who are enrolled in Medicare," said CMS Administrator Donald M. Berwick, M.D. "These new benefits are encouraging patients to talk to their doctors about their care, and to get the preventive services they need.” So far this year, over 18.9 million people enrolled in traditional Medicare have used preventive services with no cost to them. Many of these services will help prevent chronic diseases that can cost Medicare billions to treat. Also, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, more Americans on Medicare are getting help affording prescription drugs -- nearly 1.3 million people have received a 50 percent discount on their brand name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole, saving a total of $660 million so far this year.
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Flu Vaccination
September 7, 2011The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a yearly flu vaccination as the first and most important step in protecting against flu viruses. Annual vaccination is recommended for optimal protection. Medicare pays for the flu vaccine and its administration for seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries with no co-pay or deductible.
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Hunger on the Rise Among Americans in Their 50s
August 31, 2011Nearly one in 10 Americans aged 50 to 59 faced money troubles that put them at risk of hunger in 2009, a nearly 80-percent jump from the beginning of the last decade, the Huffington Post says, citing a new report commissioned by the AARP Foundation. The University of Kentucky research study is the first to focus on hunger among the youngest baby boomers, those in their 50s, who find themselves in a benefit gap—too young to get Social Security but too old to qualify for aid directed to people with children. According to the report, 4.9 million Americans in their 50s, or more than 9 percent of people in the age group, were at risk for hunger in 2009. The economic slump has exacerbated the problem, the study found.
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Why You Need to Explore Your Treatment Options
August 19, 2011Hearing that you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or some other serious condition can be a life-changing moment. Finding the best treatment option to manage it takes a bit longer, but it can make a major difference in your health and well-being. Patients often think only their doctors and nurses know what to do. And they do have skills and training to help you. But keep in mind that you’re the one with the serious condition. It is important to understand your condition, know how medicines make you feel, and describe what matters most to your quality of life. To help patients better understand their treatment options, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has a developed new tips, consumer guides, and other resources. You can even read stories from patients who took time to learn about their treatment options.
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Senior Boom Creates A Demand For Home Health Workers
August 15, 2011WASHINGTON, D.C. - At her home health care agency here, Venus Ray quizzes 65 job applicants assembled before her: Can they cook? Do they know the right way to wash their hands? Can they safely transfer patients into wheelchairs? If they give wrong answers, speak English poorly or — God forbid — forget to turn off their cell phones, she asks them to leave. By the end of the session, Ray has dismissed 42 of the applicants, almost two-thirds, even though she's in dire need of employees. Ray is executive director of Health Management Inc., which employs about 410 people, including 395 home health aides. With business booming, she is constantly looking to hire more, and she holds group interviews once or twice a month.
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Low 'Health Literacy' Hazardous to Your Health
July 22, 2011If you have low "health literacy," defined as having difficulty understanding medical information, your health may be at risk. In a review of 96 published studies, researchers concluded that low health literacy is linked with many types of poorer health outcomes and poorer use of health services. "There are no real surprises here," said study author Nancy Berkman, senior health policy research analyst at RTI International, a North Carolina-based organization that conducts health research. The report is published July 19 in the Annals of Internal Medicine, and was funded by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. About 80 million Americans have limited health literacy, the researchers report, and that puts their health at risk.
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Toll of Caring for Elderly Increases
June 14, 2011A steep rise in people caring for elderly parents is taking a toll on the health and finances of many baby boomers, a new study says. Older caregivers who work and provide care to a parent at the same time are more likely than other workers in their age group to report poor health, with problems including depression and chronic disease. There is evidence they "experience considerable health issues as a result of their focus on caring for others," the report says. The percentage of adult children taking care of their parents has tripled since 1994, with nearly 10 million people who are 50 and older doing so in 2008, according to a new analysis of the U.S. Health and Retirement Study, a bank of economic and health data on people over age 50 that was collected by the University of Michigan. The sample contained 1,112 people age 50-plus with at least one living parent.
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NIH tips for older adults to combat heat-related illnesses
July 18, 2011Older people can face risks related to hot weather. As people age, their bodies lose some ability to adapt to heat. They may have medical conditions that are worsened by heat. And their medications could reduce their ability to respond to heat. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid heat-related illnesses, known collectively as hyperthermia. Hyperthermia occurs when the body overheats. Conditions involving hyperthermia have different names, including heat stroke, heat fatigue, heat syncope (lightheadedness or fainting in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion.
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Social Security Announces New Compassionate Allowances Conditions
July 14, 2011Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced 12 additional Compassionate Allowances conditions involving severe heart diseases, bringing the total number of conditions in the expedited disability process to 100. Compassionate Allowances are a way to quickly identify diseases and other medical conditions that, by definition, meet Social Security’s standards for disability benefits. These conditions primarily include certain cancers, adult brain disorders, and a number of rare disorders that affect children. The Compassionate Allowances initiative is one of two parts of the agency’s fast-track system for certain disability claims. When combined with the Quick Disability Determination process, Social Security last year approved more than 100,000 cases, usually in less than two weeks. This year, the agency expects to fast-track nearly 150,000 cases.
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Warning to ALL Older Adults
July 1, 2011BEWARE: there are websites that charge people for free Social Security services. Some of these sites, at first glance, appear to be affiliated with Social Security. But they're actually for-profit sites charging a fee for what should be free. For instance, a quick Google search on "replacing a Social Security card" brings up paid advertisements for sites that charge just to get an application for a new card—something anyone can do for free at the Social Security Administration (SSA) website. Remember, if it's not .gov at the end of the internet address, it is not SSA.
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Retirement Estimator
July 1, 2011The Retirement Estimator gives estimates based on your actual Social Security earnings record. Results from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) show Social Security's online Retirement Estimator in one of the top two spots, with a score of 90. (Social Security's online benefit application took the top spot.) The ACSI is the only uniform, national, cross-industry measure of satisfaction with the quality of goods and services available in the United States. The Retirement Estimator ranks higher than the websites of any other public and private sector agencies and companies, including the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Please keep in mind that these are just estimates. They will vary slightly from the actual benefit you may get in the future because: a)Your earnings record is always being updated; b)Our estimate makes different assumptions about your career, such as how long you'll keep working and how much you'll make; and, c)Your actual future benefit will be adjusted for inflation.
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The National Prevention Strategy: America’s Plan for Better Health and Wellness
June 23, 2011On June 16, 2011 the National Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health Council, announced the release of the National Prevention Strategy (PDF – 4.66 MB), a comprehensive plan that will help increase the number of Americans who are healthy at every stage of life. The National Prevention Strategy recognizes that good health comes not just from receiving quality medical care, but also from clean air and water, safe outdoor spaces for physical activity, safe worksites, healthy foods, violence-free environments and healthy homes. Prevention should be woven into all aspects of our lives, including where and how we live, learn, work and play. Everyone—businesses, educators, health care institutions, government, communities and every single American—has a role in creating a healthier nation.
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New Testimony: Strengthening the Older Americans Act to Prevent Senior Hunger
June 21, 2011Today before the Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Mary Jane Koren, M.D., M.P.H., vice president for the Picker-Commonwealth Fund Long-Term Quality Improvement Program, made several federal-level recommendations for strengthening the nutritional programs that help frail older adults maintain their independence and well-being. During the hearing, "Senior Hunger and the Older Americans Act," Dr. Koren also discussed why hunger, or undernutrition, is so common in this population; the consequences of undernutrition both for patients and for rising health care expenditures; and how home-delivered and congregate meals can help low-income seniors, their families, health care providers, and policymakers, especially in a time of constrained resources.
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New Jersey Launches Health Literacy Coalition Website
June 21, 2011The New Jersey Health Literacy Coalition (NJHLC) applies passion and proven expertise in health care, health literacy and health communication in providing our services. We are committed to improving clear communication between health care professionals and individuals and their families. Health literacy allows people to make decisions and take actions that promote and maintain their health. Providing services and resources to assist health care professionals, companies and organizations in creating a culture of plain language is our priority.
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Free Preventive Services for People in Medicare
June 20, 2011On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law. The new law provides important new benefits for the more than 47 million people with Medicare – seniors and people with disabilities. One of the major goals of the Affordable Care Act is to help people stay healthy by giving them the tools they need to take charge of their own health, fostering a culture of prevention that encourages patients to partner with their physicians and other caregivers so they can pursue as healthy and active a life as possible. This new emphasis on prevention is centered on the fact that we know that we can reduce many of the highest cost chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, hip fracture and several cancers. This is especially critical in the Medicare population, where the average beneficiary with a chronic condition sees three primary care physicians and six or seven specialists.
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National Library of Medicine launches MedlinePlus Connect
June 20, 2011The National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library and a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has formally launched MedlinePlus Connect. This free service allows health organizations and health information technology (HIT) providers to link patient portals and electronic health record (EHR) systems to MedlinePlus.gov, a trusted source of authoritative, up-to-date health information for patients, families and health care providers. MedlinePlus brings together information from NIH, other federal agencies, and reputable health information providers. MedlinePlus covers a wide range of health conditions and wellness issues, and includes key resources to inform patients about their health. Patients using portals or EHRs that have implemented MedlinePlus Connect can access easy-to-understand health information on MedlinePlus that is directly related to their diagnoses, medications, and lab tests. “MedlinePlus Connect is the latest result of NLM’s long standing commitment to using technology and standards to bring high quality information to patients and clinicians when and where they need it,” noted NLM Director Donald A.B. Lindberg, M.D.
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Medicare Now Provides Coverage for an Annual Wellness Visit and the Initial Preventive Physical Examination
June 17, 2011Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare beneficiaries may now receive coverage for an Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), which is a yearly office visit that focuses on preventive health. During the AWV, healthcare providers will review a patient’s history and risk factors for diseases, ensure that the patient’s medication list is up to date, and provide personalized health advice and counseling. The first AWV also allows the provider to establish a written personalized prevention plan. This new benefit will provide an ongoing focus on prevention that can be adapted as a beneficiary’s health needs change over time. In addition to the new AWV, Medicare also provides coverage for the Initial Preventive Physical Examination (IPPE), commonly known as the "Welcome to Medicare" Visit (WMV). Medicare has provided coverage for this exam since 2005; it is provided as a one-time service to newly-enrolled beneficiaries. The IPPE is an introduction to Medicare and covered benefits, with a focus on health promotion and disease detection. The IPPE must be performed within the first 12 months after the beneficiary’s effective date of their Medicare Part B coverage. It contains a number of components that focus on prevention, including a complete medical/social/family history, a focused physical examination (ie. body mass index, blood pressure, visual acuity), an assessment of functional ability, and counseling.
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Are You Submitting a Handwritten Medicare Enrollment Application?
June 17, 2011Medicare enrollment application forms are fillable on your computer. This means that you can fill out the information required by typing into the open fields while the form is displayed on your computer monitor. Filling out the forms this way before printing, signing and mailing means more easily-readable information – which means fewer mistakes, questions, and delays when your application is processed. Be sure to make a copy of the signed form for your records before mailing. You’ll find the Medicare provider enrollment application forms available on the CMS website. Signatures are still required to be handwritten. Don’t forget to complete this important step prior to mailing your typed form(s). Keep in mind that typed forms are easier for Medicare to process, but the most efficient method for submitting your enrollment application is to use the Internet –Based Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS). PECOS guides you through the enrollment application so you only supply information relevant to your application. PECOS also reduces the need for follow-up because of incomplete applications. Using Internet-based PECOS results in a more accurate application and saves you time and administrative costs. Visit Internet-Based PECOS to learn more.
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Eldercare workforce legislation supported by GSA, AGHE
June 10, 2011The Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and its educational branch, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), applaud the recent reintroduction of a U.S. Senate bill to address the critical shortage of healthcare professionals able to meet the needs of the country’s older adults. The Caring for an Aging America Act (S. 1095) was reintroduced by Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Herb Kohl (D-WI), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on May 26. This legislation is designed to bolster the ranks of doctors, nurses, social workers, and other skilled health care workers required to care for a population of seniors that is projected to almost double over the next two decades.
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Exercise may stave off silent strokes in older people
June 10, 2011Older people who regularly exercise at a moderate to intense level may be less likely to develop the small brain lesions, sometimes referred to as silent strokes, that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease, according to a new study published in the June 8, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). “These ‘silent strokes’ are more significant than the name implies, because they have been associated with an increased risk of falls and impaired mobility, memory problems and even dementia, as well as stroke,” said study author Joshua Z. Willey, MD, MS, of Columbia University in New York and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. The research was also completed at the University of Miami in Florida.
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Active Social and Physical Life Helps Prevent Health Decline in Seniors
June 10, 2011Small, healthy lifestyle changes and involvement in meaningful activities - going beyond just diet and exercise - are critical to healthy aging, according to a new USC study. Guided by lifestyle advisers, seniors participating in the study made small, sustainable changes in their routines (such as visiting a museum with a friend once a week) that led to measurable gains in quality of life, including lower rates of depression and better reported satisfaction with life. The study validates the current trend in public health strategies to focus on preventing illness and disability, as opposed to treating issues once they already have begun to negatively impact health, according to lead investigator Florence Clark.
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Keep Track of Your Medications
June 6, 2011An AHRQ brochure includes a wallet card that can help you keep track of your medicines and have that information with you in an emergency. Listen to the Healthcare 411 Radio Podcast and learn about a free wallet card to keep track of your medications.
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Rural Patients More Likely Than City Dwellers To Have Common Surgeries
May 17, 2011A surprising study of nearly 46 million Medicare patients says older residents in rural areas are more likely to have any of nine common surgeries than people in cities. Back surgery, hip and knee replacements, and prostate removal were among the operations performed more often in rural Medicare patients, the study found. Emergency surgeries and elective operations alike were more common among rural residents. The results seem to challenge the idea that city dwellers have better access to medical care, but experts say the research raises more questions than it answers.
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New Course Supports Teachers’ Efforts to Improve Students’ Ability to Make Appropriate Health Care Decisions
May 10, 2011United Health Foundation and the National Education Association (NEA) Health Information Network have launched a new online professional-development workshop for K-12 teachers designed to help them enhance their students’ abilities to make personally appropriate health and well-being decisions. As health care becomes more complex and as health-related information becomes more plentiful, today’s students will need to develop new competencies if they are to achieve optimal health outcomes. According to the American Medical Association, “health literacy” – a basic understanding of the health information and services one needs to make appropriate health decisions – is “a stronger predictor of a person's health than age, income, employment status, educational level and race.” This curriculum provides America’s teachers with an important tool to help increase the health literacy of today’s students. “Health literacy goes beyond the ability to read or compute. It requires reading, listening, analytical and decision-making skills, as well as the ability to apply these skills to health situations in order to make sound decisions for yourself and others,” said Jerry Newberry, executive director of the NEA Health Information Network. The NEA’s professional-development course supports educational goals that include topics such as the ability to understand instructions on prescription drug bottles; medical education literature; physician prescription and treatment plans; understanding consent forms; and navigating the health care system.
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Survey: 80% of Internet Users Search for Health Care Information Online
May 13, 2011About four out of five U.S. Internet users have searched for health information online according to a recent survey report. For the report, researchers from Princeton Survey Research Associates International conducted telephone interviews of 3,001 adults between August 2010 and September 2010. Researchers found that 80% of U.S. Internet users -- or 59% of the U.S. population -- used the Internet to search for one of 15 health issues, such as data on food recalls, health conditions, hospitals or physicians. About one in three U.S. adults said the Internet helped influence their health care decisions or the decisions of someone they know.
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AARP Warns Against Medicaid Block Grants
April 27, 2011In a five-page policy paper issued Wednesday, the seniors lobby detailed how the proposal to transform the state-federal health care program for the poor into a block grant would, among other things, have an especially negative impact on low-income elderly people and people who depend on long-term care services.
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Welcome to CDC’s Health Literacy Blog
April 1, 2011Welcome to the first post on CDC’s new health literacy blog. The purpose of the blog is to stimulate ideas for new work in public health and health literacy, build relationships and community, and discuss our successes and challenges in real time. Improving health literacy depends on the support and actions of many organizations working at all levels of society. CDC’s Office of the Associate Director for Communication (OADC) recognizes CDC can play a major role in raising awareness, disseminating information and leading by example in health literacy practice.
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Limited Health Literacy and Public Health Practice
April 20, 2011If you work in public health, you probably have experience with the impact of limited health literacy on your everyday work. Public health communicators are responsible for getting out vital information. This information is often technical or unfamiliar to the public at large and to specific groups affected by a public health threat. We may rely on other government agencies, community groups, schools, the media – traditional and social media – and partner organizations to help us reach as broadly as possible into the community. Limited health literacy, however, affects more than communication. It affects how we design, implement and assess public health programs, conduct outbreak investigations, respond to public health emergencies, and monitor and track health conditions in communities. The National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy includes goals and strategies that any public health organization can use to improve its own practices and identify local partners to help connect with the community. Adult literacy service providers, librarians, social service agencies, such as those that meet the needs of homebound elders, and visiting nurse associations are examples of non-traditional partners that reach people in everyday life.
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NIH-supported survey to study functional change in older adults
April 20, 2011Thousands of Medicare beneficiaries will receive an invitation in May to be part of a special study looking at the impact of age-related changes on functional ability. The National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) will be seeking some 9,000 people aged 65 and older to participate in this long-term study, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health. NHATS is led by Judith Kasper, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore. NHATS will examine how the daily lives of older adults change as they age. This research will help scientists understand the social and economic consequences of late-life disability for individuals, families, and society. NHATS will complement and extend the findings of the National Long-Term Care Survey, a study supported by NIA from 1987-2006, which found that the level of disability among older people declined significantly between 1982 and 2004/2005.
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MEDLINE/PubMed Search and Health Literacy Information Resources
April 19, 2011The National Library of Medicine (NLM) updated the Health Literacy Special, one of the Special Queries, to retrieve more health literacy relevant records in PubMed. The pre-formulated search now includes retrieval of citations to articles about self-care perception and articles about comprehension of food labels. This modification adds approximately 131 citations to the retrieval.
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Long-term care is newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth site
April 5, 2011What is long-term care and will I need it? If I do need long-term care services, where can I find them? Are there things I should be doing now to plan ahead? Older adults and their loved ones can find easy-to-understand answers to these and other questions by visiting Long-Term Care, http://www.nihseniorhealth.gov/longtermcare/toc.html the newest topic on NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health. Today, approximately 10 million Americans need long-term services and supports. As America ages, that number is rising steadily. By 2020, it is expected that 15 million Americans will need some type of long-term care. Understanding and finding the services and options available is key to planning ahead. The new topic of long-term care on NIHSeniorHealth describes in clear, concise language the range of long-term care services available and ways to plan for future needs.
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Health Literacy Interventions and Outcomes: An Updated Systematic Review
March 30, 2011The objective of this review was to update a 2004 systematic review of health care service use and health outcomes related to differences in health literacy level and interventions designed to improve these outcomes for individuals with low health literacy. Disparities in health outcomes and effectiveness of interventions among different sociodemographic groups were also examined. Differences in health literacy level were consistently associated with increased hospitalizations, greater emergency care use, lower use of mammography, lower receipt of influenza vaccine, poorer ability to demonstrate taking medications appropriately, poorer ability to interpret labels and health messages, and, among seniors, poorer overall health status and higher mortality. Health literacy level potentially mediates disparities between blacks and whites. The field of health literacy has advanced since the 2004 report. Future research priorities include justifying appropriate cutoffs for health literacy levels prior to conducting studies; developing tools that measure additional related skills, particularly oral (spoken) health literacy; and examining mediators and moderators of the effect of health literacy. Priorities in advancing the design features of interventions include testing novel approaches to increase motivation, techniques for delivering information orally or numerically, "work around" interventions such as patient advocates; determining the effective components of already-tested interventions; determining the cost-effectiveness of programs; and determining the effect of policy and practice interventions.
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Low Health Literacy Linked to Higher Risk of Death and More Emergency Room Visits and Hospitalizations
March 28, 2011Low health literacy in older Americans is linked to poorer health status and a higher risk of death, according to a new evidence report by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). More than 75 million English-speaking adults in the United States have limited health literacy, making it difficult for them to understand and use basic health information. The report, an update of a 2004 literature review featuring findings from more than 100 new studies, also found an association between low health literacy in all adults, regardless of age, and more frequent use of hospital emergency rooms and inpatient care, compared with other adults. The report's authors also found a link between low health literacy and a lower likelihood of getting flu shots and of understanding medical labels and instructions and a greater likelihood of taking medicines incorrectly compared with adults with higher health literacy. They also found evidence linking poor health literacy among adult women and underuse of mammograms. Furthermore, evidence from a small but growing body of studies suggests that differences in health literacy levels are related to racial and ethnic disparities. For example, flu shot rates among seniors, enrollment of children in health insurance programs and taking medications as instructed by a health care professional are lower among minorities. "Ensuring that people understand health care information is critical to a high-quality, safe health care system," said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. "Improving health literacy will be a major step in the nation's efforts to enhance health care quality and safety." In addition, the authors, who were led by Nancy D. Berkman, Ph.D., and Stacey Sheridan, M.D., M.P.H, of the AHRQ-supported RTI International-University of North Carolina Evidence-based Practice Center, concluded that intensive self and/or disease management programs appear to reduce disease severity, emergency room visits and hospital admissions among patients with limited health literacy. In May 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the National Action Plan to Improve Health Literacy to engage organizations, professionals, policymakers, communities, individuals and families in a linked, multi-sector effort to improve health literacy. The plan calls for improving the jargon-filled language, dense writing, and complex explanations that often fill patient handouts, medical forms, health web sites and recommendations to the public. Among the other objectives of the plan are promoting changes in the health care system that improve health care information, as well as improving patient-provider communication, low health literacy individual's ability to make health care decisions based on evidence, and access to health care. Information on the plan is available at http://www.health.gov/communication/hlactionplan/. The report, Health Literacy Interventions and Outcomes: An Update of the Literacy and Health Outcomes Systematic Review of the Literature is available on the AHRQ Web site at http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/lituptp.htm. For more information on AHRQ funding, studies, tools and other resources related to health literacy and cultural competency, go to http://www.ahrq.gov/browse/hlitix.htm.
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Publications for Medicare Beneficiaries
February 17, 2011Individuals on Medicare have a number of questions regarding Medicare and their medical insurance. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has developed a fact sheet listing a variety of publications available to assist Medicare beneficiaries in answering their questions.
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Routine Osteoporosis Screening Recommended for All Women over Age 65
January 17, 2011In an update to its 2002 recommendation, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) now recommends that all women ages 65 and older be routinely screened for osteoporosis. This is the first final recommendation statement to be published since the USPSTF implemented a new process in July 2010 in which all of its draft recommendation statements are posted for public comment on the USPSTF Web site prior to being issued in final form. The draft recommendation statement on screening for osteoporosis was posted for public comment from July 6 to August 3, 2010. The USPSTF also recommends that younger women with increased risk factors for osteoporosis be screened if their fracture risk is equal to or greater than that of a 65-year-old white woman who has no additional risk factors. White women are used as the benchmark because they have a markedly higher rate of osteoporosis and fractures than other ethnic groups. Risk factors for osteoporosis include tobacco use, alcohol use, low body mass and parental history of fractures.
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Baby Boomers To Help Expand Mobile Health Market
January 21, 2011Baby boomers are expected to contribute to an expansion of the mobile health IT market, according to a report released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Enterprise Forum of the Northwest, NextGov reports. Key Findings According to report, market analysts predict that seniors will play a role in helping the mobile health IT market grow to $4.6 billion by 2014 and to $12 billion by 2020. The report also notes that nearly 56% of baby boomers have expressed a "high willingness" to use home-based health monitoring devices. Some of the products that seniors expressed interest in include: * Health and fitness software; * Mobile health applications; * Personal emergency response services; * Remote monitoring tools; and * Telemedicine technology (Pulley, NextGov, 1/18). Possible Challenges According to the report's authors, an expansion of the mobile health market might be unsustainable without a shift in health care payment structures. The report notes most health insurance companies currently do not cover the costs of remote monitoring technologies and other mobile health tools (Versel, Mobihealthnews, 1/12). Read more: http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2011/1/21/baby-boomers-to-help-expand-mobile-health-market-report-says.aspx#ixzz1BhdMTqUW
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President Obama Signs the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010
December 21, 2010On Wednesday, December 15, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Medicare and Medicaid Extenders Act of 2010 (MMEA). This new law prevents a scheduled payment cut for physicians who treat Medicare patients from taking effect. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is pleased that this law has addressed key issues for beneficiaries and providers and we are actively engaged in implementing these changes. CMS is also working to implement several important new provisions for Medicare beneficiaries made possible by the Affordable Care Act – the health reform law. In 2011: • Beneficiaries who reach the prescription drug coverage gap, known as the donut hole, will receive a 50 percent discount when buying Part D-covered brand-name prescription drugs. • Virtually all Medicare beneficiaries are eligible to receive many free preventive care services and a free annual wellness visit.
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The Social Security COLA and Medicare Part B Premium: Questions, Answers, and Issues
December 17, 2010This brief examines how Medicare Part B premiums for many beneficiaries are affected by the lack of a cost-of-living increase for Social Security benefits in 2010 and 2011. Based on the most recent projections from the Medicare and Social Security Trustees, the brief examines the interactions between the two programs that will result in some Medicare beneficiaries paying significantly higher Part B premiums.
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Should You Buy A Long Term Care Insurance Policy?
December 17, 2010Experts say that only about 10 percent of seniors bought a long-term health care policy and are covered. That could be because it’s tough to decide whether they’re right for you. As Michelle Andrews explains, they have many moving parts: After a waiting period, they generally pay a set daily benefit for a certain number of years, depending on how much you pay and at what age you start paying in. And, they also tend to be expensive.
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Two New Publications from the National Institute on Aging
December 16, 2010• There’s No Place Like Home—For Growing Old suggests resources ranging from personal care and home health care to money management and meal services that can make aging in place easier. This 8-page tip sheet also tells readers where to find help, including some that is free or low-cost. • So Far Away: Twenty Questions and Answers About Long-Distance Caregiving tackles difficult issues faced by many of today’s caregivers. This completely redesigned and updated 44-page booklet provides advice and resources to help caregivers assess what kind of help is needed, coordinate with family members, keep up with medical care, decide when a move is needed, and more.
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Social Security’s Online Retirement Estimator Available in Spanish
December 13, 2010Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, announced that the agency’s most popular online service – the Retirement Estimator – is now available in Spanish at www.segurosocial.gov/calculador. The Retirement Estimator uses a person’s own Social Security earnings record to provide immediate and personalized benefit estimates.
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NIHSeniorHealth.gov offers info on anxiety disorders in older adults
December 8, 2010Anxiety caused by stressful events like moving or losing a job is a normal part of life. Anxiety disorders, on the other hand, are characterized by persistent, excessive and disabling fear and worry and get progressively worse if left untreated. It is estimated that anxiety disorders affect between 3 and 14 percent of older adults in a given year. To provide an older audience with additional information, NIHSeniorHealth, the health and wellness website for older adults from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has added a topic about anxiety disorders (http://nihseniorhealth.gov/anxietydisorders/toc.html). Visitors to the website can learn about the risk factors, symptoms and treatments for generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and specific phobias such as fear of flying or fear of public speaking. Anxiety disorders can severely affect a person’s life, and they are often overlooked in older adults.
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Social Security Administration Launches Redesigned Home Page
November 15, 2010Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today unveiled the agency’s newly redesigned home page at www.socialsecurity.gov that will help visitors more quickly and easily find the information and services they need. One of the key features of the redesigned home page is a service channeling guide, which appears in the left hand column of the page. The guide links users directly to the most popular pages on Social Security’s web site -- the services visitors are most likely to want to use.
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November Flu Shot Reminder
November 1, 2010Each Office Visit is an Opportunity. Medicare patients give many reasons for not getting their annual flu vaccination, but the fact is that there are an average of 36,000 flu-related deaths in the United States each year, and more than 90% of these deaths occur in people 65 years of age and older. Please talk with your Medicare patients about the importance of getting their annual flu vaccination. This Medicare-covered preventive service will protect them for the entire flu season. And remember, vaccination is important for health care workers too, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get Your Flu Vaccine - Not the Flu. Remember – Influenza vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. Note that influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For information about Medicare’s coverage of the influenza vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational resources for health care professionals and their staff, please visit the following website.
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