Aging News Alert

North Dakota

 

Former High School Being Converted To Senior Apartments

Following the lead of several cities now converting empty public buildings into apartments, the North Dakota Housing Finance Agency, Lutheran Social Services Housing, and Enterprise Community Partners will convert a former junior high school in Williston to rental housing for seniors.

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(TRANSPORTATION) Central Plains AAA Uses $12,500 Grant To Enhance Transportation Access For Hispanics

The grant was one of four awarded earlier this year, and was intended to underwrite the development and enhancement of community collaboratives focusing on the mobility needs of culturally and ethnically diverse older adult populations.

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(RURAL HEALTH) Lawmaker Vows to Fight New CMS Rule

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) says he plans to push the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to reverse a new rule that he contends places an unfair financial burden on rural hospitals across the country. Under the new rule, a doctor or mid-level practitioner must be physically present every time a service is provided. However, in the case of many rural facilities it is customary for routine therapeutic services to be performed by a nurse or other professional staff, as long as a doctor is within 30 minutes of the hospital.

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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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Stimulus Bill Overhaul Seen Likely In Senate

Fearing passage of economic stimulus legislation without some measure of Republican support might bog down future legislation the Obama administration wants, President Barack Obama dispatches Vice President Joe Biden to wrestle with his former Senate GOP colleagues over a workable compromise. But Republican senators are treading gingerly following approval of HR 1 in the House Jan. 29.

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Home Healthcare Agencies to Get Medicare Payment Increase

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says it will increase Medicare payments on average to home health agencies in 2009 and will take action to remedy inappropriate outlier cases in which providers bill Medicare unusually large amounts.

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Research Finds America's Elderly Suffering Abuse

A new study concludes that nearly 13% of America's aged citizens suffer some form of abuse. Specifically, 9% of adults reported they have suffered from verbal mistreatment, 3.5% suffer financial mistreatment, and 0.2% suffer physical mistreatment.

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Pharmacies Found Having Problems With Medicare Drug Program Providers

Nearly all of the 100 community pharmacies examined by the Department of Health & Human Services' (HHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) experienced problems when contracting with Medicare prescription drug program (PDP) sponsors.

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Special Open Door Forum: Developing Outpatient Therapy Payment Alternatives

Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have scheduled a Special Open Door Forum intended primarily for providers of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech language pathology -- collectively termed Medicare outpatient therapy and reimbursed under Part B. The Forum may also be of interest to physicians who refer beneficiaries for outpatient therapy.

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Medicaid Provides Older Americans Limited Access To Home, Community-Based Services

A new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute finds promising signs and mixed results among state government efforts to balance long-term care (LTC) options under Medicaid. According to the report, only four states spent more than 50% of their Medicaid LTC dollars for older people providing home and community based services.

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Bank Fees Rough on Seniors

Americans age 55 and older pay $4.5 billion in fees annually for overdraft loans they haven't asked for and typically don't want, according to a new study by the Center for Responsible Lending. Of that, nearly $1 billion comes from people heavily dependent on Social Security income.

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AoA Wants to Expand Medicare Fraud Efforts to Rural Areas

Under this competition, the Administration on Aging plans to further expand and integrate the Senior Medicare Patrol fraud awareness message throughout rural areas through collaborative efforts led by the state aging organization.

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Legislation Would Bar Voluntary Arbitration Agreements In LTC Facilities

Legislation is now before the House and Senate to prohibit long-term care providers from asking residents to sign an arbitration agreement when they enter a long-term care facility, even if the arbitration agreement is not required for admission.

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ACCORD Clinical Trial Publishes Results

Intensively targeting blood sugar to near-normal levels in adults with type 2 diabetes at especially high risk for heart attack and stroke does not significantly reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as fatal or nonfatal heart attacks or stroke, but increases risk of death, compared to standard treatment.

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CMS To Provide Additional Funding For Health Insurance Counseling Programs

CMS plans to distribute an additional $15 million to State Health Insurance Assistance Programs in an effort to help Medicare beneficiaries obtain more information about their healthcare choices.

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Baby Boomers' Bodies Impacted By Years Of Wear And Tear

As increasing numbers of baby boomer exercise enthusiasts and athletes age, healthcare professionals are treating more overuse injuries, as well as dealing with the results of traumatic injuries experienced by people when they were younger.

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Poll Shows Americans Want Congress To Protect Poor Seniors From Rising Medicare Costs

A new telephone poll conducted by Harris Interactive for the National Council on Aging finds that 89% of adults aged 18 and over believe that improving programs to protect low-income seniors against rising Medicare costs should be a top priority for Congress this year.

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Long -Term Care Industry Group Urges Caution In Regulating Sector

A senior-leve representative of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) argues that the long-term care profession has pioneered transparency and disclosure efforts among U.S. healthcare providers, and outlined a variety of reforms designed to ensure seniors and every long-term care stakeholder benefits from smarter, more effective oversight of the nation's long term-care system.

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Farm Bill To Make Wide Rage of Improvements to Nutrition Programs

A new analysis shows that the 2008 Farm Bill would make numerous improvements in domestic food assistance programs to help low-income Americans put food on the table in the face of rising food and fuel prices.

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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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One In Four Disabled Seniors Use Risky Or Ineffective Medicines

Roughly a quarter of Americans with disabilities age 65 and older reported using at least one prescription drug deemed inappropriate for persons his or her age, according to the latest data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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Hartford Fellows Program Supports Scholars in Geriatric Social Work

The Hartford Doctoral Fellows Program in Geriatric Social Work is aimed at bringing outstanding, talented, skilled people to the field of gerontological social work to train practitioners, research best practices, and set future directions.

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Seniors, Minorities Seen Having Largest Impact On Tomorrow's America

The demographic patterns of older Americans and certain ethnic groups will have greater effects on the country's socioeconomic outlook than previously thought.

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Retirees, Disabled Vets Still Can File for 2008 Stimulus Payments

Even though April 15 has passed, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding retirees, disabled veterans and others who normally do not file a tax return that there is still time to submit a 2007 form to receive an economic stimulus payment.

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Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program

Supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies and administered by Columbia University, this national program seeks to provide professionals in health and aging with the experience and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the development and implementation of health policies that affect older Americans.

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$2.2 Million In Penalties Sought Against CA Hearing Aid Maker

FDA is seeking a $2.2 million penalty against a California hearing aid manufacturer for violations of federal law, including manufacturing standards violations and the failure to notify the FDA of a change in an outside supplier or vendor, which may have exposed recipients of the devices to unnecessary health risks.

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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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CMS Asked to Extend Contract Evaluation Window, Postpone Round One

The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) has fired off a letter to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Acting Administrator Kerry Weems asking for an extension in the 10-day contract evaluation window for providers that were offered contracts in Round One of competitive bidding.

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GOP Lawmakers Press for Tougher MA Plan Marketing Rules

Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), ranking Republican on the House Ways & Means Committee, and Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), ranking Republican on the Health subcommittee, are in the process of gathering signatures from their GOP colleagues for a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services seeking tougher rules governing the marketing of private Medicare Advantage plans.

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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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IRS Provides New Details for Recipients of Social Security, Veterans Benefits

The Internal Revenue Service has released additional information about the upcoming economic stimulus payments in a specially designed section for taxpayers on IRS.gov.

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CNS Seeks Nat'l Nonprofit to Oversee Volunteer Efforts

Five million dolalrs is available for one three-year cooperative agreement to be made with a national nonprofit to provide financial and technical resources to local organizations to help them identify, place and support volunteers engaged in addressing critical community needs.

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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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Pomeroy: Asset Smoothing Regs Will Freeze Pension Plans

A senior member the House Ways & Means Committee ins pressing Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to provide proper clarification on proposed Pension Protection Act (PPA) regulations related to asset smoothing.

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Grassley Probes Paxil Maker GlaxoSmithKline

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, wants drug maker GlaxoSmithKline to furnish the panel with documents regarding the antidepressant medication Paxil

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Numerous Interest Groups Decry Bush's Budget

Here's a sampling of the disgruntlement inspired by President Bush's proposed FY 2009 budget.

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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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Groups Urge Inclusion of FMAP Boost in Pending Stimulus Package

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living are asking Congress and the White House to include in any final economic stimulus package state fiscal relief through a temporary increase in states' federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP).

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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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CCP Becomes Newest Supporter of National Awards Program

The newest supporter of the National Awards program Building Healthy Communities for Active Aging is the Center for Civic Partnerships (CCP).  The Center for Civic Partnerships, part of the Public Health Institute, is a nonprofit support organization that strengthens individuals, organizations,...

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Hearing Focuses On Government's Hiring, Retention Of Older Workers

Over the next five years, more than half a million permanent full-time federal employees-or about one-third of the full-time federal workforce-will be eligible to retire. In 10 years, more than 60% of the federal workforce will be retirement-eligible. Such were the core issues discussed April 30 during a Senate Special Committee on Aging.

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