Wyoming Stories - Aging News Alert

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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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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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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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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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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HUD Amends Matching Fund Requirements in Capacity Building NOFA

HUD) is making it slightly easier for the four eligible nonprofits in its Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Grants to participate in the coming fiscal year by eliminating requirements to have matching funds in hand when applying for funding.

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Deadline For Banfield Charitable Trust Grant Application Approaches

The Banfield Charitable Trust is accepting grant applications for the second cycle of 2008 grants until June 30. Organizations focused on strengthening the pet-human bond, by creating healthier lives for pets and families through education and community outreach, are encouraged to apply.

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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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AARP Poised To Launch TV Ad Spurring Medicare Activism

AARP is about to unleash a nationwide advertising campaign aimed at pressuring federal lawmakers to hold down the costs of Medicare premiums.

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Stark, Health Subcommittee Grill CMS Over Bidding System Problems

"The system is somewhere between flawed and lousy," notes Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) during Tuesday's (May 6) House Ways & Means health subcommittee hearing on the Medicare competitive bidding program.

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Social Security Administration Multilanguage Gateway Opens Doors

The Social Security Adminsitration is now offering information to the public in 15 languages besides English.

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AARP's Reinhard Named Ladd Award Recipient for 2008

Susan Reinhard, AARP senior VP and director of AARP's Public Policy Institute, has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Dick Ladd Award. The award recognizes an individual whose work in research, policy or programs improves long‑term and community‑based care.

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Sens. Conrad, Cardin Add Budget Provision to Enhance Long-Term Care Quality

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) have collaborated to including a provision in the Senate FY 2009 Budget Resolution that highlights long-term care as an important priority.

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Educational Effort Underway on Genetic Testing for Dosing Wafarin

A new educational effort focused on improving the safety and reducing the complications of a life-saving heart drug is being launched by the American Medical Association and the Critical Path Institute as part of an ongoing program to support personalized medicine.

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Republicans Push Budget Plan That Looks Much Like Bush's Proposal

Congressional Republicans have responded to the Democrats $3 trillion budget proposal with one of their own -- a proposal that more closely resembles the one President Bush put forth earlier this month.

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Nonprofit Consultant Discusses Ways To Prepare For Economic Downturn

Nonprofits, funders and donors facing a possible recession would do well to draw lessons from the challenging economic period that the sector went through in 2001, made worse by 9/11, says the head of a nationwide consultancy for nonprofit organizations.

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Part D Helping to Lower Rx Drug Costs? Maybe...Maybe Not

An assertion this week by HHS Secy. Mike Leavitt that the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit is saving money for beneficiaries as well as the federal government is being characterized as "propaganda" by a key congressional leader.

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NIH Provides $13M for Alzheimer's Research Centers

NIA invites applications from qualified institutions for support of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers. These are designed to support and conduct research on Alzheimer's disease, and to serve as shared research resources that will facilitate research in Alzheimer's and related disorders.

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AARP's 'Divided We Fail' Initiative Shows Impressive Support

AARP's "Divided We Fail" initiative marks its first anniversary this week as it continues to press candidates and elected officials to make access to quality, affordable healthcare and long-term financial security top issues in the national political debate.

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Bad News for Beneficiaries: CMS Decreases Medicare Summary Notices

Just when you thought the government was done tinkering with Medicare, the feds pull a fast one. In the fall of 2007, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) changed the delivery schedule for Medicare Summary Notices (MSNs).

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New York Times Blasts Medicare Advantage Plans

Numerous Medicare Advantage (MA) plans "prey on elderly Americans despite state, federal and industry efforts to stop them," The New York Times said in a Dec. 26 editorial, adding that this is "yet another reason to rein in these operations by eliminating their unjustified subsidies."

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Doctor Gets 10.5-Year Prison Term for Medicare Fraud

A Michigan dermatologist has been sentenced to a term of 126 months' imprisonment on 31 counts of healthcare fraud.

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Four Cardiac Surgeons Pay $2.5 Million for False Medicare Claims

Four cardiac surgeons have agreed to pay the United States $2.5 million to settle claims that their practice submitted false claims to federally-funded health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid.

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Advocacy Group Endorses Measure to Halt COLA Erosion

The proposed "Social Security COLA Protection Act of 2007", introduced by Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), garners strong support from the Washington, DC-based seniors' advocacy group, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security & Medicare (NCPSSM).

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Tips for Helping Elders with Depression during Holidays

While millions of people suffer late life depression year round, the situation is exacerbated during the holidays.

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AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Offers Scholars Award

The T. Franklin Williams Scholars Award is given to a junior faculty geriatrician (within four years of his/her first faculty appointment) who is conducting research in collaboration with a specialist of internal medicine on a specialty-related health problem common among older patients.

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