Aging News Alert

Nebraska

 

Nebraska SMP Working to Reduce Medicare Scams

New scams pop up every day, and seniors are certainly not immune to them -- particularly when it comes to Medicare. Scam artists often use stolen Medicare numbers to bill Medicare for a multitude of services. Most beneficiaries don't even realize items are being fraudulently billed under their Medicare number.

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CMS Names Sites for Pilot Program Aimed at Elevating Quality as Patients Move Across Care Settings

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Monday (April 13) identified 14 communities around the nation that have been chosen for the agency's Care Transitions Project, which seeks to eliminate unnecessary hospital readmissions.

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Research Initiative To Test Treatments For Menopausal Symptoms

Women troubled by hot flashes and night sweats during the years around menopause want safe, effective treatment options. A new research initiative from the National Institutes of Health will establish a multisite research network to conduct clinical trials of promising treatments for the most common symptoms of the menopausal transition.

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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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Key Senate, House Members Back Bill To Give Docs Unbiased Info About Rx Drugs

Senate Special Committee on Aging Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI), Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Ted Kennedy (D-MA), and Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) are joined by House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) in introducing a bill in both chambers to provide doctors with unbiased information on prescription drugs.

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CMS Proposes Payment, Policy Changes For Docs' Services In 2009

CMS says it is trying to encourage greater efficiency in the delivery of care, while reducing treatment errors through the use of electronic health records. Additionally, the agency is exploring new payment models to see if there are ways to promote greater coordination of care among providers, producing better outcomes for the healthcare dollar.

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Senate OKs $3.1 Trillion Budget Resolution; No Proposed Medicare/Medicaid Cuts

The Senate on a 48-45 vote approves a $3.1 trillion FY 2009 budget resolution, which includes significant spending hikes for domestic programs and ignores the Bush administration's proposed funding reductions for Medicare and Medicaid.

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New Guide Offers Seniors Good Advice On 'Legal Matters'

The MetLife Mature Market Institute has updated its Since You Care guide titled, "Legal Matters." The guide contains useful information about aging-related legal matters, healthcare planning, and financial decisions for older Americans and those who care for them. It is available free to the public....

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SSA Adding New Retirement Benefits Calculator To Online Tools

The Social Security Administration intends to add a new calculator to its online Benefit Calculators suite. The Retirement Estimator will allow authenticated individuals to calculate estimates of potential retirement benefits in real-time.

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Rule Would Delay Revisions In Payment Plan For LTCHs

CMS unveils its interim final rule aimed at implementing certain provisions of Sec. 114 of the Medicare, Medicaid, & SCHIP Extension Act of 2007 regarding long-term care hospitals.

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Dementia Blood Test Poised To Debut This Year

A blood test capable of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease with more than 90% accuracy is poised to hit the U.S. market as soon as this summer, according to the Society of Chemical Industry.

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NE: Seminar Focuses On Living Environments For The Elderly

Strategies for creating living environments that treat older people with dignity and respect is the focus of an April 15 seminar presented by the American Disabilities Act Committee at Creighton University in Omaha.

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Home Healthcare For Elderly Seen As Growing Franchising Niche

There's an expanding list of franchise players that offer in-home supportive care and assistance services for the elderly who want to continue to maintain some degree of independence.

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GAO: Many State, Local Government Retiree Health Plans Underfunded

Many state and local governments offering retiree health benefits generally have large unfunded liabilities, says the GAO in a just-released report.

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Housing Authority 'Inappropriately' Funded Assisted Living Entity

A rural Nebraska housing authority inappropriately used more than $78,000 in public housing funds to pay expenses of a non-HUD assisted living program, the Dept. of Housing & Urban Development's Office of Inspector General finds.

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AAHSA 'Future of Aging Services' Conference Approaches

The American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging's 2008 Future of Aging Services Conference, March 31-April 2 at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC, will offer 21 education sessions, including many on transforming the way attendees recruit and retain people of talent.

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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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CDC Issues Funding Opportunity for Arthritis Programs

CDC has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement marking the beginning of a new phase for state arthritis programs.

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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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Profile of First Wave of Boomers Holds Lots of Surprises

"Contrary to what most of us have believed about the baby boomers who came of age in the turbulent 1960s, the group is very much like the 'Silent Generation' that preceded them," says Sandra Timmermann, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute, which conducted Boomers Ready to Launch, a comprehensive profile of the first baby boomers as they turn 62.

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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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Commission Urges Reforms On Long-Term Care

A national commission headed by former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA), during a press conference Monday in Washington, DC, unveiled its final report warning of a coming crisis in long-term care and calling on the presidential candidates to address this crisis in their policy platforms and on the campaign trail.

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