Aging News Alert

Montana

 

Florida-based REIT Acquires Senior Housing Communities in Montana

CNL Lifestyle Properties Inc., a real estate investment trust (REIT) headquartered in Orlando, FL, has acquired Bozeman Lodge and Pioneer Village, two independent and assisted living senior housing communities, for approximately $45.85 million.

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Bill to Punish Docs for Assisted Dying Gets Preliminary OK in Montana

The Montana Senate on Thursday (April 11) gave preliminary approval to a House-passed bill to imprison doctors for up to 10 years if they provide aid in dying to terminally ill patients. The legislative measure advances despite a new poll showing nearly three quarters of the state's voters oppose it.

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(GRANTS) MDU Resources Foundation Grant Application Deadline Approaches

MDU Resources Foundation, a Bismarck, ND-based funder, supports organizations serving seniors. The foundation is particularly interested in supporting programs related to health and human services, education, civic and community activities, culture and the arts. The Foundation is underwritten by MDU Resources Group Inc., a company primarily focused on energy and transportation infrastructure.

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RWJF Seeks Applications for Local Funding Partnerships 2009-2010

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Local Funding Partnerships program works to forge relationships between RWJF and local grantmakers willing to fund promising original projects with the potential to significantly improve the health of vulnerable people in their communities.

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Data Shows Depreciating Home Values Hurting Oldest Americans

Golden Gateway Financial, a financial resource for seniors and retirees, has released new usage data from its online Reverse Mortgage Calculator showing more senior citizens are researching reverse mortgages to offset investment losses. The company also reported on the potentially devastating implications for seniors of the continuing drop in home values as documented by the most recent S&P/Case-Shiller Home Prices Indices.

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Baucus, Grassley Unveil Legislative Discussion Draft Focusing On Medicare Purchasing Program

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) and Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA) have produced a bipartisan discussion draft of legislation that would establish a value-based purchasing program for inpatient hospital care in the Medicare program. The senators’ proposal would take steps to link Medicare payments to the quality of care patients receive rather than just the number of services a hospital provides.

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CMS Issues Agent Compensation Requirements MA, Rx Drug Programs

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued revised compensation requirements for sales agents and brokers who sell Medicare Advantage and prescription drug benefit plan options to people with Medicare. This CMS interim final rule with comment period modifies regulations issued on Sept. 18.

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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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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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Experts Advise Finance Panel Members About Ways To Improve Medicare

Witnesses at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Sept. 16 told lawmakers that increasing Medicare reimbursements for primary care is one of several steps that can be taken to improve the nation's healthcare delivery system.

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Modified Insulin Most Effective For Controlling Post-Meal Blood Sugar Levels

Pre-mixed insulin analogues, a modified form of conventional pre-mixed human insulin, are more effective than long-acting analogues for controlling high blood sugar levels after meals in patients with type 2 diabetes, find the authors of a new report funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, part of the Department of Health & Human Services.

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NIA to Fund Research on Older Cancer Patients

The grants will support translational research in the overlapping areas of aging and cancer, linking basic and clinical research relevant to older cancer patients through both bench to bedside and bedside to bench approaches.

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Senate Finance Panel OKs Bills To Boost Foster Care, Adoption, Fight Elder Abuse

The Senate Finance Committee has approved by voice vote the Chairman’s Mark to the proposed Improved Adoption Incentives & Relative Guardianship Support Act, the Patient Safety & Abuse Prevention Act, and the Elder Justice Act.

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Congressional Leaders Call For Greater Oversight Of Pension Fund Investments

Key members in both the House and the Senate are reacting strongly in the wake of a recently released report from the Government Accountability Office that uncovered increasing levels of investment by private pension plans in hedge funds and private equity funds. These investment vehicles have lower levels of liquidity, less transparency, are more financially unpredictable, and have greater levels of risk than traditional investments, GAO says.

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ASA Now Accepting Nominations For The 2009 Awards Program

Each year, the American Society on Aging (ASA) recognizes a number of individuals and organizations for their contributions to ASA, to the field of aging, and to older adults. Do you know a nonprofit organization who has demonstrated innovation in mental fitness programming for older adults? If so, nominate one today!

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Nursing Home Industry to Receive $1.5 Billion Overpayment in 2009

Yielding to intense lobbying by the nursing home industry, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is giving skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), nursing homes that provide nursing and rehabilitative services to Medicare beneficiaries recovering from a hospital stay, a two-part rate increase worth more than $1.5 billion next year.

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CMS Touts Lower Medicare Part D Costs Than Expected In 2009

As has been the case for the past three years, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is once again proclaiming the Medicare Part D prescription drug program an unqualified success, claiming that beneficiary satisfaction rates remain high, program costs remain lower than originally expected, and Medicare prescription drug plan bids reflect nationwide drug price trends.

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National Think Tank Releases State Rankings on Health Ownership

Americans lack the basic freedom to make their own healthcare decisions, says the author of the second edition of the U.S. Index of Health Ownership, an annual report by the Pacific Research Institute (PRI). The Index measures the degree to which individuals -- be they patients, health professionals, entrepreneurs, or taxpayers -- "own" the healthcare in their states.

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GAO Suggest Improvements in Medicare Withholding

            The Government Accountability Office reports that some Medicare beneficiaries still are having the wrong amount withheld from their Social Security payments for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D prescription benefit premiums but GAO...

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New Websites for 50+ Surfers

The Worldwide Web grows increasingly "seniors-friendly" with new websites for the 50-plus crowd popping up virtually every day. Here's a few from the latest crop.

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Searching For The Fountain of Youth

The search for the highly fabled, disgustingly illusive "Fountain of Youth" continues into the 21st century -- more than 600 years after Juan Ponce de León first claimed he found it somewhere in what is now northern Florida. Today, the quest for eternal youth is scientific in nature -- and researchers are more determined than ever to succeed.

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Foundation Seeks Research Proposals Targeting Fronto-Temporal Dementia

The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation is a public charity dedicated to rapidly accelerating the discovery and development of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer's disease and cognitive aging. Research investigating the pathologic mechanisms of neuro-degeneration in fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) and related disorders has advanced recently, creating new potential targets for drug discovery. ADDF seeks to accelerate and support drug discovery for FTD and related dementias through this Request for Proposals. There is no deadline for applications.

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Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards

The Family Caregiver Alliance is now accepting applications for the inaugural Rosalinde Gilbert Innovations in Alzheimer's Disease Caregiving Legacy Awards. The deadline for applications is Aug. 15.

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Gray & Green Together: Older Adults Can Help Create Healthier Environment

Volunteering for environmental protection activities can be physically and mentally sustaining for older people, according to a report appearing in the latest issue of Public Policy & Aging Report (PPAR), a publication of the National Academy on an Aging Society, the policy arm of The Gerontological Society of America. In fact, this demographic group is in a unique position to have a noticeable impact on its surroundings, the PPAR report says.

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Senate Passes Controversial Medicare Bill With Physicians' Pay Fix

The Senate on Wednesday voted 69-30 to pass (by a veto-proof margin) the Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act (HR 6331). The bill prevents a controversial 10.6% cut in payments to doctors who care for seniors in Medicare -- providing them instead with a 1.1% pay increase -- and improves access to care for low-income seniors.

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Changes Proposed For Hospital Outpatient, Ambulatory Surgical Center Services

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued a proposed rule that will update calendar year 2009 payment rates for hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgical centers. CMS says the proposed rule is aimed at building on efforts across Medicare to transform the program into a prudent purchaser of healthcare services, paying based on quality of care, not just quantity of services.

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Last-Minute Intervention Puts Medicare Physician Fee Cut On Hold

At the last minute, the Bush administration has interceded for physicians with the Department of Health & Human Services and postponed the 10.6% Medicare payment cut that was supposed to take effect today (July 1).

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CDC: Traumatic Brain Injuries Can Result From Senior Falls

Traumatic brain injuries due to falls caused nearly 8,000 deaths and 56,000 hospitalizations in 2005 among Americans 65 and older, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) released in the June issue of the Journal of Safety Research.

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AHA Foundation Accepting LOIs For Macular Degeneration Research Program

The American Health Assistance Foundation's Macular Degeneration Research Program supports basic research into the causes and potential treatments of the disease. The program is accepting Letters of Intent for Standard Awards (maximum of $50,000 per year for up to two years, renewable on a competitive basis).

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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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The Battle To Improve Medicare -- Round Two

The House of Representatives passed legislation in 2007 that would have reduced overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans and would have made significant improvements for beneficiaries. Similar efforts by the Senate, however, were unsuccessful, mostly for political reasons. The debate began again wit...

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Analysis Finds 16% Cost Increase For Enrollees In Top Medicare Drug Plans

Average monthly premiums for enrollees in the 10 most popular Medicare prescription drug plans increased by 16% in 2008, finds an Avalere Health enrollment-weighted analysis of Part D data.

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Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen May Be Effective At Reducing Risk of Alzheimer's

Different types of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, naproxen, and aspirin, appear to be equally effective in lowering the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to the largest study of its kind.

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NCOA: Congress Should Fund Senior Falls Prevention Act

The National Council on Aging is urging members of Congress to fund the recently enacted "Safety of Seniors Act" (Public Law 110-202), a critical opportunity to decrease falling among older people, which causes nearly two million injuries and 16,000 deaths every year.

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Consensus On Medicare Bill Unlikely Before Upcoming Break

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus says a bipartisan agreement on a Medicare bill is unlikely before the upcoming Memorial Day break. And among the reasons for the lack of a consensus is a sharp difference of opinion between Republicans and Demo

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Home Depot Launches Housing Impact Grants Program

Preference will be given to requests that engage community stakeholders and result in building or rebuilding houses and/or apartments that are affordable to individuals/families earning a modest income (typically 80% or less of the area median income).

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CMS to Host Second National Education Call May 27

CMS will host the second national education conference call to address the implementation of the new Medicare Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies Competitive Bidding program scheduled to begin on July 1.

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CMS Moves To Shield Beneficiaries From Bogus Marketing; Action Draws Criticism

CMS' proposal to provide "enhanced protections" for beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage health plans and Medicare prescription drug plans is drawing fire from consumer advocates who say the agency's actions don't go far enough.

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CMS Requirement Of Early Evidence Submission Seen As Barrier To Appeals Process

Medicare beneficiaries who wish to appeal when their claims are denied face a daunting obstacle: the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) demand that beneficiaries submit evidence supporting their claims early on in the appeals process.

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Report Examines One-Stop Career Centers' Aid to Older Workers

GAO) has released a report examining one-stop career centers as a means to link older workers with employers through employment and training services.

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Going Green

In its online format, Aging News Alert gives you the ability to quickly and easily navigate through an array of Internet-based resources for additional, more comprehensive information.

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Martha Stewart Testimony Inspires Optimism at Hearing on Elder Care

Martha Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, describes for lawmakers how caring for her aging mother led her to become deeply committed to easing the difficulties associated with caring for the elderly.

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MindAlert Funds Available For Brain Fitness Programs

Are you interested in learning more about brain fitness, programs and techniques to stimulate the aging mind? Host a workshop that highlights award-winning brain fitness programs

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Baucus Looking For Longer Lasting Fix On Doctors' Pay

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) is pushing Medicare-related legislation that would delay for 18 months a 10% Medicare physician payment cut scheduled become effective July 1.

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Archive of TeleCargiving Workshops Now Available

Family Caregiver Alliance has added a new feature to its website -- an online audio archive of TeleCaregiving workshops.

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FDA Makes Recommendations On Devices That Treat Blocked Heart Arteries

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has issued draft guidelines to aid the development, testing and manufacture of coronary drug-eluting stents, devices used to treat blocked heart arteries.

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More Medicaid Beneficiaries Could Get Home & Community-Based Care

Thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries who were previously limited to receiving care in an institutional setting may now be given the option to receive that care in their homes and communities, under a proposed rule published today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

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Bills Would Delay Hospice Repayments to Medicare

Legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would place a three-year moratorium on retroactive repayments from hospice providers to Medicare and mandate a top-to-bottom review of Medicare hospice benefits.

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Alliance for Caregiving, MetLife Foundation Seek Applications for Caregiving Awards

The National Alliance for Caregiving and the MetLife Foundation tell us that applications will soon be accepted for the 2008 National Family Caregiving Awards Program.

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Growing Prevalence of Diabetes Found in Nursing Homes

One in four nursing home residents over 65 had diabetes and was at an increased risk for conditions affecting their quality of life, according to new research report from the Institute for the Future of Aging Services.

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Set Clocks Forward on March 9

Remember to set your clocks forward one hour on Sunday, March 9.

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CMS Identifies $371.5M In Improper Medicare Payments In Three States

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says $371.5 million in improper Medicare payments has been collected from or repaid to healthcare providers and suppliers as part of a demonstration program using recovery audit contractors (RACs) in California, Florida and New York in 2007.

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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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CMS Proposes Two New Rules for Redesigning Medicaid

In line with President Bush's recently unveiled plan to sharply reduce federal spending on government-funded healthcare programs, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services propose two new rules that, if finalized, would do exactly that.

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White House Eyes Overhauling Healthcare In Response To Medicare 'Trigger'

The Bush White House is poised to propose legislation aimed at eliminating excessive Medicare spending, thus reducing reliance upon the so-called "Medicare funding warning" provision contained in the Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement & Modernization Act of 2003.

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Bush Signs Stimulus Package

President Bush on Wednesday signed the two-year, $168 billion rescue package passed by Congress last week.

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Survey: Stimulus Package Must Include Older Americans

A new poll by AARP finds an overwhelming majority of Americans think the government must ensure that people dependent on Social Security are included in any stimulus rebate package.

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FDA Issues Public Health Advisory on Chantix

FDA issued a Public Health Advisory to alert healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers to new safety warnings concerning Chantix (varenicline), a prescription medication used to help patients stop smoking.

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CMS Proposes Coverage With Evidence Development for Artificial Heart Devices

CMS is proposing coverage with evidence development of artificial heart devices. The agency proposes to cover artificial heart devices in Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Food & Drug Admin.-approved studies.

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More Medicaid Funding Could Stimulate Economy, CBO Honcho Says

CBO Director Peter Orszag tells the Senate Finance Committee that increasing the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid probably would help stimulate the economy, but the ultimate effect might vary for one state to another.

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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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USDA Wants to Ensure Proper CACFP Payments

The Agriculture Dept. is seeking comments on the best way to test potential data collection processes to ensure proper reimbursement payments for family day care homes involved in the Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).

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Proposals Sought for Programs to Strengthen Geriatrics Training

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation has issued a Call for Proposals from U.S. medical schools for Comprehensive Programs to Strengthen the Training in Geriatrics of Medical Students, Residents, and/or Practicing Physicians.

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Boomers Making the Most of 401(k) Plans

A study of 500 boomers with investment assets of $1 million or more finds 71% have participated in 401(k) plans during their careers, and about half of these individuals say their 401(k) assets represent more than half of their overall retirement savings.

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Treasury Dept. Addresses Social Security Reform

The Treasury Dept.'s latest brief focuses on ways to assess the fairness of potential reforms and the adequacy of benefits in a financially sustainable Social Security system.

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FDA Clears Rapid Test for Drug-Resistant Staph Infections

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has cleared for marketing the BD GeneOhm StaphSR Assay, the first rapid blood test for the drug-resistant staph bacterium known as MRSA (methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus"), which can cause potentially deadly infections. Methicillin is an antibiotic...

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CMS to Issue RFP for Quality Improvement Organizations

CMS plans to issue a Request for Proposal for competitions resulting in awards of separate contracts for Quality Improvement Organizations for the states of Alaska, California, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

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GAO to CMS: Where's the Money?

CMS may have made nearly $90 million in questionable payments to contractors hired to help launch the Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to the Government Accountability Office.

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Leavitt Warns of Veto if Medicare Bill Calls for Sweeping Changes

HHS Secy. Mike Leavitt warns the Senate Finance Committee that White House advisers will press President Bush to veto Medicare legislation that calls for cuts in Medicare Advantage plans or changes to the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

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Applications Sought for Geriatrics Education Specialty Residents Program

The Geriatrics Education for Specialty Residents Program, a key component of the project, is designed to improve the amount and quality of geriatric education received by medical and surgical residents. The program provides small grant support to bring geriatrics expertise into residency programs.

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Governance Policy Changing Among Nonprofits

The governance landscape of the not-for-profit community has changed dramatically since the implementation of Sarbanes-Oxley. Today, 87% of not-for-profit organizations have created new governance policies compared with 20% in 2003.

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Global Guide to Age-Friendly Cities

The World Health Organization has developed a new guide aimed at encouraging cities to become more age-friendly so that they can tap the potential of older people.

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Survey Shows Growing Expenses, Stress Levels for Caregivers

A new survey shows respondents had an estimated annual out-of-pocket expense of $5,531 -- more than 10% of the median income of the group, which was $43,026.

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