Aging News Alert

New Mexico

 

Fund to Make $33 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

The Fund this year has already awarded dozens of nonprofits -- organizations serving seniors, youth, and people afflicted by alcoholism and/or dug abuse -- totaling $9.5 million.

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ACE Demo Sites Selected By CMS

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made its selections for the Acute Care Episode (ACE) demonstration. ACE is a new hospital-based demonstration that will test the use of a bundled payment for both hospital and physician services for a select set of inpatient episodes of care to improve the quality of care delivered through Medicare fee-for-service.

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Coalition Aims To Improve Financial Dignity For Boomers

As both the housing market and stock market have declined this year, they've taken a big chunk of retirement assets for the baby boomer generation with them. That only adds to the woes of a generation that many experts say has done a poor job planning for their future. To help Boomers better understand and address the unique financial challenges they'll face in retirement, 11 non-profit financial associations, representing more than 200,000 financial services professionals around the world, have formed an unprecedented collaboration called The Partnership for Retirement Education and Planning (PREP).

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Senators Push Measure To Protect Medicare Card Holders From Identity Theft

Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) are pushing legislation that would require the government to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare identification cards and communications to Medicare beneficiaries. The three lawmakers say the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which administers the Medicare program, has fallen behind most other public and private organizations in recognizing the danger of displaying Social Security numbers.

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Seniors Call Today's Economic State Worst Ever Experienced

When asked to compare the current economy to similar situations in the past, 53% of Americans over the age of 60 said today's economic conditions are worse than those they have experienced in the past, even though unemployment and inflation rates have been higher within the last 30 years. A new poll from the MetLife Mature Market Institute, conducted by Harris Interactive, reports that an overwhelming majority of this group is feeling the pinch in today's current economy and that it has affected the way they spend their money, but not their plans for retirement.

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Demand For Retirement Income Planning Growing Dramatically

According to the 2008 FPA Financial Planner Attitudes and Perceptions about Retirement Income Planning study, demand for retirement income planning, retirement income products and services, is increasing, driven by a greater understanding on the part of Americans of the important differences between the two broad phases of retirement -- the accumulation or preparation phase and the distribution or income phase.

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AMA Offers Tips To Help Grandparents Make The Most Of Their Healthcare

In recognition of Grandparents Day this Sunday (Sept. 7), the American Medical Association (AMA) is reaching out to grandparents with tips to make the most of their healthcare and stay healthy so they can continue to play a vital role in their grandchildren's lives.

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FDA Warns Consumers About Potential Problems At Two Baltimore Pharmacies

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers who filled prescriptions at The Medicine Shoppe pharmacies located at 8035A Liberty Road and 5900 Reisterstown Road in Baltimore that they may have received drugs that were either expired or suspected counterfeit. The FDA is particularly concerned because a number of the drugs are for serious diseases and could have an adverse effect on treatment.

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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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How Parents Can Provide for a Caregiver Child

Taking care of a parent can be a full-time job. Children may have to give up paying jobs in order to provide care to aging parents. Unfortunately, caregiving is usually unpaid work. Parents who want to compensate a child who takes on the burden of caregiving may do so in one of several ways.

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New 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Payment Rates

As a result of the July 15 enactment of the Medicare Improvements for Patients & Providers Act of 2008, the mid-year 2008 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) rate of -10.6% has been replaced with a 0.5% update, retroactive to July 1.

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Spending Growth, Shift To Docs' Offices Indicate CMS Should Alter Practices

From 2000 through 2006, Medicare spending for imaging services paid for under the physician fee schedule more than doubled -- increasing to about $14 billion, a Government Accountability Office investigation has found. Spending on advanced imaging, such as CT scans, MRIs, and nuclear medicine, rose substantially faster than other imaging services such as ultrasound, X-ray, and other standard imaging, the GAO says in a just-released report.

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Funding Available For Roybal Centers for Translational Research On Aging

The National Institute on Aging is inviting applications using the NIH Research and Development Core Center Grant (P30) award mechanism to support Edward R. Roybal Centers for Translation Research in the Behavioral and Social Sciences of Aging. NIA expects to make 8-12 awards totaling $3.6 million total costs in the first year, and $18 million total costs over the 5-year project period. Deadline for applications is Oct. 31.

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Payment Policies Under Physician Fee Schedule & Other Revisions To Part B

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services propose rule changes to the Medicare Part B payment policy to "ensure that our payment systems are updated to reflect changes in medical practice and the relative value of services," CMS says in its notice.

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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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Panel Presentation In Creating Aging-Friendly Communities

Panelists in a June 19 online forum will talk about identifying and engaging stakeholders in efforts to create aging-friendly communities and discuss the possible needs and interests of community members, government, non-profit organizations, funders, and the faith-based community. Participants will learn about strategies and best practices to help actively engage these stakeholders in supporting local efforts to create more aging-friendly communities.

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Alzheimer's Replaces Diabetes As 6th Leading Cause Of Death In U.S.

Alzheimer's disease is now the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. The CDC estimates that 72,914 Americans died of Alzheimer's disease in 2006.

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Arbitration Seen ‘Reasonable, Intelligent Option’ To Resolve Eldercare-Related Disputes

Claiming that the proposed Fairness in Nursing Home Arbitration Act of 2008 "needlessly discriminates against long-term care providers and the patients and residents in our nation’s nursing facilities and assisted living residences", the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) told the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law that pre-dispute arbitration agreements are a viable legal option for long-term care consumers and providers, and their use should not be eliminated by passage of overzealous legislative remedies.

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IG Serves Up 4 New Reports On Medicare- Medicaid-Related Issues

The Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Inspector General has just released four reports focusing on Medicare- and Medicaid-related issues. Two of the reports deal with how the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is made available to residents of nursing homes.

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Report Finds Accurate Revenue Estimates Needed For Retirement Policy

The Profit Sharing/401k Council of America (PSCA) and nine other advocacy organizations issued a research report highlighting the need for accurate federal budget scorekeeping estimates for proposed legislative changes affecting retirement savings. The report, Revenue Estimates and Retirement Poli...

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Consumers Union To Launch Online Hospital Rating Service

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is set to launch an online project that rates services at more than 3,000 hospitals around the nation.

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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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Nat'l Senior Health & Fitness Day Set For May 28

Organized as a public/private good health partnership by the Mature Market Resource Center, Senior Health & Fitness Day will offer fitness activities for older adults at more than 1,000 locations including hospitals, park and recreation departments, senior centers, health clubs, retirement communities, houses of worship, health departments and other community locations.

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National Ad Campaign Highlights Patient Ratings For Hospitals

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services is launching the first national print advertising campaign focusing on the quality of care available in the nation's hospitals.

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CMS Demo Project Aims To Boost Quality Using Bundled Hospital Payments

CMS unveils a new demonstration project designed to allow hospitals to test the use of a bundled payment for both hospital and physician services for a select set of episodes of care. The aim is to improve the quality of care delivered through Medicare fee-for-service, the agency says.

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CDC Recommends Merck's Shingles Vaccine For Adults 60+

CDC has adopted the unanimous recommendation of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the use of ZOSTAVAX for the prevention of shingles in adults aged 60 and older. ZOSTAVAX is the only vaccine to prevent shingles, a frequently painful disease marked by a blistering rash that is caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

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AARP Offers to Host Presidential Forums On Healthcare, Financial Security

AARP, the nation's largest advocacy organization representing people over 50, is offering to host a series of what it describes as "joint forums" for the presidential candidates. The purpose of the proposed forums, says AARP Executive VP Nancy LeaMond, is provide a venue in which the Democratic and Republican presidential nominees can discuss their respective positions on the issues of healthcare and financial security.

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Rx Drug Ads Need More Oversight, AMA Honcho Tells Congress

The president-elect of the American Medical Association on Thursday, (May 8) called for better government oversight of prescription drug advertisements directed at consumers to protect patients from misleading information.

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Rx Drug Ads Need More Oversight, AMA Honcho Tells Congress

The president-elect of the American Medical Association on Thursday, (May 8) called for better government oversight of prescription drug advertisements directed at consumers to protect patients from misleading information.

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Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program

HUD is making grant funding available for its Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program. The deadline for applications is July 10, 2008. The award ceiling is $431.706 million.

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Elder Care Initiative Long-Term Care Grant Program

The Indian Health Service makes available grants to support planning and implementation of sustainable long-term care services for American Indians and Alaska Native elders.

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NCOA, Human Arc Partner To Help Low-Income Health Plan Members

NCOA and Human Arc have established a nationwide partnership to help seniors with limited means. The new partnership enables members of participating Medicare health plans to determine -- right at home -- their potential qualification for benefits programs and then, if qualified, get expert assistance to apply and get enrolled.

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Initiative Aims To Improve Healthcare; Offers Incentives To Professionals

CMS is encouraging physicians and other eligible professionals to take part in the Physician Quality Reporting Initiative (PQRI), a program designed to improve the quality of care provided to Medicare beneficiaries.

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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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Does Another Mortgage Crisis Loom On The Horizon?

It's easy to see why the $4 trillion of home equity that's wrapped up in the houses of America's senior citizens seems like an attractive solution to an underfunded old age.

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Need Info on Health & Aging? Have We Got A Deal For You

The American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging publishes tip sheets on Health & Aging that can be downloaded and used in health fairs, education with elders, etc.

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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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Groups Press CMS on Drug Coverage For Low-Income People

Nineteen groups that advocate on behalf of people with Medicare are telling the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that the agency's approach to preventing certain Medicare beneficiaries from having to change their Medicare drug plans will not work.

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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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Buying Group Formed For Nonprofit Long-Term Care Providers

MedAssets Inc. and the American Association of Homes & Services for the Aging have agreed to align AAHSA's Group Purchasing program with MedAssets Supply Chain Systems.

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States Poised For Possible Pandemic Influenza Outbreak

States are rapidly improving their preparedness for a pandemic outbreak, say the authors of a new interim report by the Nat'l Governors Assn.'s Center for Best Practices.

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Alzheimer's Caregiving Award Gets Funded

The Family Caregiver Alliance's National Center on Caregiving has been awarded a grant from The Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Foundation to oversee an awards program to recognize innovation in programs benefiting caregivers.

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When Everyday Becomes Mother's Day

"It shook me to the core when a stroke left my mom so helpless and vulnerable," reveals Louise Lewis, author of No Experts Needed: The Meaning of Life According to You! "She was never sick a day in her life. But now she needed me, and the roles were reversed. The reality of the natural progression of life set in."

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NEW: Private Grants for Community Health Programs -- 1st Edition

Discover over 200 newly-researched private foundation grants for a wide range of community health programs with a brand-new online and print directory from the publishers of Aging News Alert.

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Hamburger Helper Seeks Hometown Helpers

Hamburger Helper, a General Mills company, seeks applications for its 2008 "My Hometown Helper" grant program, which focuses on local groups making a difference in their community.

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Lung Transplant Gives New Life To 75-Year Old Veteran Actor

Before he received a transplanted lung at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in 2000, actor Wayne Tippit, 75, worked hard to keep his pulmonary condition a secret.

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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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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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Capitol Hill Briefing Highlights Tech Advancements Aiding Seniors

Experts on technology for the aging and current technology consumers discuss technology's potential to facilitate independence and allow older Americans to remain in their own homes.

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CMS To Toughen Enrollment Rules for DMEPOS

CMS wants to toughen enrollment standards for suppliers of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS).

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Governance Reform May Be in Tax-Exempt Organizations' Future

In response to irregularities at a handful of charities, one of Congress's chief concerns over the past few years has been the accountability of the board as a governing body and of each member in his or her individual capacity.

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New Federal Poverty Level Guidelines to Affect Medicare, Medicaid

New federal poverty level guidelines published this week will affect eligibility levels for many public benefits, including health benefits for older people and people with disabilities.

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More Web-Based Resources on Aging

Here are two more handy Web-based resources designed to help seniors.

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CMS Proposes Rate Year 2009 Payment, Policy Changes for LTC Hospitals

CMS proposes a payment rule designed to assure that long-term care hospitals continue to receive appropriate payment for services provided while giving them incentives to provide more efficient care to Medicare beneficiaries.

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Groups Offer Plan To Strengthen Long-Term Care

Some of the nation's leading long-term care organizations gathered this week in Washington, DC, to warn consumers and policymakers about the severe long-term care crisis.

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Rule Would Let Low-Income Rx Plan Beneficiaries Pay Zero Premiums

CMS has proposed a regulation that would allow Medicare drug benefit plans to offer reduced premiums to beneficiaries who qualify for the program's low-income subsidy. The eligible plans would be located in regions where there are fewer than five "zero-premium" plans available.

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Three Presidential Candidates Respond to Coalition of Aging Groups

Three presidential hopefuls, Sen. Hillary Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), have responded to a questionnaire regarding major issues affecting older Americans sent by the Leadership Council on Aging Organizations, a 56-member coalition.

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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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Another Stopgap Spending Law Emerges

Unable to come to terms among themselves over an FY 2008 spending plan, lawmakers adopt a seven-day continuing resolution to keep the government operating through Dec. 21, the day Congress is set to adjourn for the year.

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OSHA Publishes Final Rule on Employer-Paid Personal Protective Equipment

OSHA publishes a final rule that requires employers -- including agencies providing home healthcare providers -- to pay for personal protective equipment for their employees.

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Half of Older Adults Go Unscreened for Colon Cancer

Only half of all Americans age 50 and over have had a colonoscopy, one of several common screening tests for colon cancer, according to the latest news and numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality.

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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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