Aging News Alert

Kentucky

 

'Backpacks For Seniors' Provides End-of-Month Food Assistance

"Backpacks for Seniors" is open to any senior in need of food. During the third week of each month, the program provides bags containing basic food items that are easy to prepare, like peanut butter, crackers, and canned fruits and vegetables. Each backpack contains at least enough food for five substantial meals.

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(GRANTS) Retirement Research Foundation Accepting Proposals for Grants

The Chicago-based Retirement Research Foundation is now accepting proposals for its general grants program, which supports direct service, advocacy, research, and education and training programs for professionals working directly with elders. Proposals are due Aug. 1.

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(GRANTS) WellPoint Foundation Supports Healthcare for Elderly

The WellPoint Foundation, formerly the Anthem Foundation, is a company-sponsored foundation that supports healthcare programs for underserved populations – especially the elderly. Its geographic focus is Kentucky, but it gives nationally as well. For example, in 2004, it gave $25,000 to the National Association of Free Clinics in Washington, DC.

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(CHINESE DRYWALL) Company Introduces New Treatment for Chinese Drywall

The AbShield fix comes at a time when tens of thousands of homeowners -- many of them retirees who purchased homes in or near Sun Belt retirement communities -- have been forced from their houses as a result of the odor-emitting Chinese drywall product.

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(PENSIONS) Bendix Told to Pay $16.9 Million in Pension Debt

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has notified Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC of its responsibility to pay $16.9 million in pension liability. The obligation arises from the shutdown of Bendix's Frankfort, KY plant and the resulting job loss of some 60 workers who were participants in the underfunded Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC Pension Plan for Hourly Employees.

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(GRANTS) Humana Foundation Provides Grants for Seniors Programs

The Humana Foundation was established in 1981 as the philanthropic arm of Humana Inc., one of the nation's premier health-benefits companies. A private foundation located in Louisville, KY -- the site of Humana's corporate headquarters -- the foundation supports and nurtures a range of charitable activities in communities where it has a presence.

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(HUNGER) Need Funding for Food Banks? Think Yum!

Headquartered in Louisville, KY, Yum! Brands Foundation was formerly known as the Tricon Foundation Inc. While the foundation is particularly interested in supporting worthwhile projects in its home state of Kentucky, it does provide financial support for food banks across the nation serving the elderly and low-income families.

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IG Finds $7.4 Million in Overpayments for Hospital Services in IL, IN, KY, and OH

Of the 303 high-dollar payments that the federal government made to hospitals in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio for inpatient services during calendar years 2004-2006, only 39 were appropriate, says the Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG). The remaining 264 payments included net overpayments totaling more than $7.4 million.

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10 Organizations Receive Grants From NCOA

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is awarding grants to 10 organizations nationwide for the purpose of finding and enrolling older people and younger adults with disabilities who have limited means into public benefits programs. Awarded through NCOA’s National Center for Benefits Outreach and Enrollment (www.CenterforBenefits.org ), the grants support the development of person-centered community-based systems for outreach and enrollment into public benefits through the creation of local and state Benefits Enrollment Centers (BECs).

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Medicaid Dollars in Stimulus Would Boost States

The inclusion of nearly $88 billion in House of Representatives' economic recovery package (HR 1) would not only help states continue to provide health coverage for vulnerable populations, details a new Families USA report, but it would also help to revitalize states' overall economies by preventing loss of jobs, wages and business activity, the group says.

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Can FHA Handle The New Stress?

As federal legislative efforts open up the possibility for more mortgages to be included in Federal Housing Admin., including a wider array of reverse mortgages for 62+ homeowners, concern appears to be growing regarding whether the program can handle the crush.

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Study Offers Lessons On How To Attract 'Experienced' Students

San Francisco-based think tank Civic Ventures -- which focuses on baby boomers and work -- has released a new report profiling 10 community colleges (in AZ, CA, FL, KY, MD, MI, NC, OR, TX, VA) that have tapped into promising new student populations, engaged local employers, and helped prepare boomers for meaningful work in the second half of life.

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Appalachian Community Fund Seeking Proposals

Organizations seeking funding for projects must show how their proposed projects would eliminate barriers to full participation in society -- i.e., racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, ableism, and exclusion from decision-making processes.

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CMS Initiative Aims To Help Medicare Beneficiaries’ Caregivers

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today (Thursday, Sept. 18) launched "Ask Medicare," a new initiative to help family caregivers -- those who are family members or friends who help people with Medicare -- access and use valuable healthcare information, services and resources. CMS launched the initiative through a live Webcast hosted by CMS Acting Administrator Kerry Weems.

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AMA To Congress: Now Is The Time To Reform Medicare Physician Payment System

Congress has created a window of time to fix the fatally flawed Medicare physician payment system, says the head of the American Medical Asssociation (AMA), Dr. Nancy Nielsen. In testimony today (Thursday, Sept. 11) before the House Ways & Means health subcommittee, Nelson urged lawmakers to quickly enact permanent reform in order to "achieve the vision of a healthcare system that provides quality, cost-effective care."

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ASA Invites Entries For Graduate Student Research Award

The American Society on Aging is accepting applications for its award for graduate research projects in the field of aging. The award is given for the best research paper on a completed project. The award is presented annually to a graduate student for research relevant to aging and applicable to practice. Applicants must either be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program or must have completed their studies no more than one year before the point of submission.

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CMS: Medicare Providers Remain Satisfied With Fee-For-Service Contractors

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that Medicare healthcare providers continue to be satisfied with services provided by Medicare fee-for-service contractors showing a relatively smooth transition to the new Medicare Administrative Contractors.

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'Doughnut Hole' Has Serious Consequences, Study Finds

Kaiser Foundation CEO Drew Altman says the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap in the Medicare Part D prescription drug program "has consequences from some patients with serious health conditions," something a new president and Congress should keep in mind if they consider changes to the program....

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HUD Has Funds for Emergency Capital Repair

               Agency: Housing & Urban Development Dept. Program: Emergency Capital Repair. Eligibility: Private, nonprofit owners of Sec. 202 direct loan projects with or without Sec. 8 rental assistance; Sec. 202 capital adv...

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Seniors Seen Especially Vulnerable To Dehydration

"Water is such a basic element of our lives and so readily available in the United States that people are seldom aware of its importance," says Becky Drake, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at Foxcare Wellness Center in Oneonta, NY. "Yet, it is so essential to the human body, we can not survive more than a few days without it. If deprived of water for even a short period of time, we begin to experience the physical consequences of loss of water, or dehydration."

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Group Takes CMS To Task Over DME Accreditation Cancellation

The American Association for Homecare is staunchly opposing a decision by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to cancel the accreditation deadline for durable medical equipment (DME) providers in the 70 metropolitan areas throughout the United States designated for Round Two of the Medicare competitive bidding program. CMS said last week that it was canceling its Jan. 14, 2009 accreditation deadline for DME or home medical equipment providers in the 70 metropolitan areas that were to be included in Round Two of the recently postponed bidding program.

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Statins May Protect Against Memory Loss

Commonly used cholesterol-fighting drugs called statins may protect against dementia and memory loss, find the authors of a study published in the July 29 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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$10 Million Available For Nursing Home Diversion Program

The Administration on Aging (AoA) is making available some $10 million for its Nursing Home Diversion Modernization Cooperative Agreement program. AoA expects to make as many as 15 awards. Maximum grant amount is $1 million. Only state units on aging are eligible. The deadline for applications is Aug. 14

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Survey Finds Considerable Room For Workers Over 50

A new AARP national survey has found that workers age 50 and over are satisfied with employer-based training programs offered to them (79%), and they participate in those programs in large numbers. But while two-thirds (67% of workers questioned online said that they received all of the training th...

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Navigating The Medicaid Bog

The so-called "Medically Needy" – i.e., Medicare beneficiaries whose Medicaid eligibility depends on meeting a spenddown (or share of cost) each month or quarter -- are faced with difficult challenges just using their Medicaid, since, in most states, they must prove to the state that they have incurred a certain amount in medical bills before their Medicaid becomes effective.

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CU Urges Withholding Medicare Payments To Hospitals That Harm Patients

The federal government should expand its effort to restrict Medicare payments to hospitals for the cost of healthcare associated with certain infections and medical errors acquired during treatment, argues Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

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Effort Underway To Help Beneficiaries Lower Costs For DME

Nearly 4 million people with Medicare living in 10 communities across the nation will receive information about a new program aimed at lowering their costs for certain medical equipment and supplies by changing how Medicare pays for these items. CMS will begin mailing letters on the new program, which begins July 1, to beneficiaries later this month.

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CMS Outlines Rights of Medicare Hospice Patients

Medicare beneficiaries with terminal illnesses have their right to determine how they receive end-of-life care outlined for the first time in a new regulation soon to be published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Warning: Don't 'Swipe' Out Retirement Savings With 401(k) Debit Cards

The introduction of the 401(k) debit card has made borrowing from a retirement savings account as easy as swiping and spending -- a tempting convenience that can have significant repercussions on the card user's future retirement security.

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Guide Helps Patients On Coumadin/Warfarin Therapy

The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality has released a new consumer publication, Your Guide to Coumadin/Warfarin Therapy. This 20-page, easy-to-read patient brochure explains what patients should expect and watch out for while undergoing Coumadin/warfarin therapy.

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Revised Accreditation Deadlines For Round 2 DMEPOS Competitive Bidding

In order to participate in the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program, suppliers must meet quality standards and be accredited by a CMS-approved Deemed Accreditation Organization.

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CMS Names Contract Suppliers For First Round DMEPOS Bidding Program

CMS has selected the contract suppliers for the first round of the Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) Competitive Bidding Program. A total of 325 suppliers receiving 1,345 contracts were selected for the ten Round 1 communities.

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Are Boomers Prepared for a Disability?

The answer is no, according to America's Health Insurance Plans. The organization commissioned Harris Interactive for a series of surveys to determine the extent of boomers' coverage in case of disability.

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Dems Move On $3.3 Trillion Budget Plan; No Proposed Cuts to Medicare, Medicaid

Congressional Democrats appear to have reached a tentative agreement on a $3.3 trillion FY 2009 budget resolution that does not include the Bush administration's proposed spending cuts for Medicare and Medicaid.

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Leavitt Urges Transparency On Medicare Quality, Costs

Health & Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt tells a small business audience if he had the legal authority he would direct changes in the nation's health system that would produce greater transparency about cost and quality of services. The largest impact would be on Medicare recipients, he adds.

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National Healthcare Decisions Day

April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day -- a nationwide initiative designed to raise public awareness of the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions and to encourage the use of advance directives to communicate important healthcare decisions.

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Prevent Shingles -- A Vaccine

If you're 60 or older, you may be at risk of getting shingles. For some people who get shingles, the malady is short-lived and only mildly uncomfortable. For many others, shingles can be a long-lasting ailment causing considerable pain.

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CMS Moves To Lower Number Of Yearly Drug Plan Reassignments

CMS issues a final regulation that could allow nearly 1 million Medicare beneficiaries with limited income and resources to remain in the Medicare prescription drug plan in which they are enrolled without having to pay a premium.

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Ending the Medicare Doomsday Predictions Once and For All

The Medicare Board of Trustees on Tuesday, March 25, released its annual report examining the fiscal status of Medicare. As expected, the Trustees issued a 'Medicare funding warning' based on the proportion of general revenues financing the Medicare program.

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Archstone Foundation Honors Innovative Programs in Health & Aging

The Gerontological Health Section of the American Public Health Association is accepting nominations for the 2008 Archstone Foundation Award for Excellence in Program Innovation.

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FNS Food Stamp Program Participation Grants Available

The Food & Nutrition Service is seeking grant applications for the Food Stamp Program (FSP) Program Participation Grants (PPG) for FY 2008.

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Serious Questions Raised About CMS' New Medicaid Rules

The House Oversight & Government Reform Committee has unveiled a new report detailing the state-by-state impacts of seven regulations issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service that would make major, wide-ranging changes in Medicaid, the nation's largest low-income healthcare program.

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CMS Proposes New Rules for State Medicaid Programs

Continuing to implement recent legislative changes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) formally propose two new rules for redesigning Medicaid.

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Survey Finds Boomers Confused About Medicare

New research from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners shows many baby boomers -- the first wave of which turns 62 this year -- are confused about their post-retirement health insurance options, including their Medicare eligibility.

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Growth In Health Expenditures Seen Steady Through 2017

Growth in healthcare spending in the United States is projected to be 6.7% in 2007, according to a just-released report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Average annual growth is expected to remain near that rate through 2017.

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What Medicare's '45% Trigger' Means And Why It Matters

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, best known for creating the Medicare Prescription Drug program,included a little-discussed provision that could dramatically alter the entire Medicare program.

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Groups Comment on Proposed DOL Rules on Pension Funds

ASPPA and CIKR submit comments and recommendations to the Labor Dept. about proposed ERISA regulations, which provide clarification on what constitutes a reasonable arrangement between employee benefit plans and service providers to plans to assist plan fiduciaries in assessing the reasonableness of the compensation or fees paid for services rendered.

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2008 Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards

The MetLife Foundation is inviting nominations for the 2008 Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards program.

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AHCA: FY 2009 Budget Blueprint 'Unreasonable, Unrealistic'

The American Health Care Association describes the Bush FY 2009 budget proposal as unreasonable from the standpoint of seniors' Medicare-financed nursing facility care, and unrealistic in the face of worsening economic conditions in states across the nation, which will surely squeeze state Medicaid budgets

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Report Offers Recommendations for Medicare Special Needs Plans

The Center for Medicare Advocacy has released a report and recommendations aimed at protecting members of Medicare private plans known as "Special Need Plans."

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Elderly Housing Money Available

A revised FY 2007 Dept. of Housing & Urban Development appropriation allocates $19.8 million for pre-development grants to private nonprofits and consumer groups for development of Sec. 202 housing for the elderly.

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IRS Partners Host Free Tax Help for Low-Income, Elderly Taxpayers

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers free tax help to people who earn less than $40,000. The Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program offers free tax help to taxpayers who are 60 and older.

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U. of Colorado to Lead Research in Animal-Assisted Therapy

As relationships between humans and animals become more important and more complex, there is growing evidence of the effectiveness of therapy involving humans -- especially the elderly -- and animals.

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New Model Would Bring CCRCs to New Audience

Jeff Petty, CEO of Wesley Enhanced Living in Pennsylvania, believes the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) model is a fantastic way for older adults to live. In fact, he wants to bring it to a much larger audience -- with a few improvements.

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'Good Samaritans' Take to Capitol Hill

Some 45 representatives from the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society visit Washington, DC, for the organization's regional meeting and use the occasion to discuss issues of concern with their congressional representatives.

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Group Presses for Social Security as Tool for Economic Stimulus

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare wants Congress to use Social Security -- not income tax refunds -- as a tool for distributing economic relief to seniors, thus stimulating the national economy.

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Reverse Mortgages Show Significant Growth in 2007

Reverse mortgages have seen unprecedented growth over the last three years as the demand for reverse mortgage products continues to accelerate.

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SSA Changes Rules on Face-to-Face Conferences

The Social Security Admin. is revising its regulations on personal conferences when waiver of recovery of an overpayment cannot be approved. The final rules allow for the conferences to be conducted face-to-face, by telephone, or by video teleconference in these circumstances.

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Appropriate Use of Anti-Depressants by Nursing Home Residents

Nursing homes must ensure depressed residents get the medication they need while also guarding against the indiscriminate use of antidepressants to treat individual symptoms that may be unrelated to depression.

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AFAR Accepting Applications for Student Training Program

Students participate in an eight- to 12-week structured research, clinical, and didactic program in geriatrics appropriate to their level of training and interests.

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CMS Proposes Policy for CPAP Therapy

CMS is proposing to extend Medicare coverage for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices to include beneficiaries who have been diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea as a result of a Type II, III, or IV home sleep test.

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Nominations for the Purpose Prize

(Deadline March 1, 2008) Civic Ventures is accepting nominations for the 2008 Purpose Prize, a major initiative that invests in Americans over 60 who are leading a new age of social innovation. The "Purpose Prize" provides five awards of $100,000 and 10 awards of $10,000 to people over 60 who are ta...

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Medicare, Elderly Patient-Related Legislation Gaining Steam

Five more members of Congress agree to add their names to the list of those who have already chosen to support HR 621, the Home Oxygen Patient Protection Act.

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Congress Pressed to OK Medicare Improvements for Low-Income Seniors

The National Council on Aging is weighing in on recommendations by the nonpartisan Medicare Payment Advisory Commission urging Congress to improve assistance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

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U. of KY Center to Study Senior Hunger in America

The U. of Kentucky's Center for Poverty Research will use a major research grant from the Meals On Wheels Assn. Foundation to study causes, consequences, and future of hunger among seniors in America.

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