Judith Graham reports for Kaiser Health News on frequently used over-the-counter and prescription drugs that can turn a right-minded older person into someone who appears to have dementia. Beware...
Diane Archer
To strengthen Medicare, it should cover everyone
It’s Medicare’s 54th birthday. And, Luke Thibault writes for Jacobin about Medicare’s strong success as a cost-effective social insurance program, notwithstanding conservative...
Medicare Advantage plans unaccountable for billions in...
Past government audits reveal that Medicare Advantage plans have overcharged the federal government tens of billions of dollars since their inception. Recent government data show that Medicare...
Pharmaceutical companies continue winning in Washington
Public opinion may be against the pharmaceutical companies. And, Democrats in Congress, along with some Republicans, including President Trump, are railing against the high price of drugs. But, an...
Choose your hospice carefully
The HHS Office of the Inspector General just issued two scathing reports on the Medicare hospice program. It found that nearly one in five hospice agencies suffered from serious deficiencies that put...
Older adults are far more likely to die from the flu
A new CDC study provides yet another reason for older adults to get the flu vaccine. Specifically, it finds that the older you are the more you should be concerned about getting the flu. It also...
Prescription drug costs soar for people with Medicare Part D
A new Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief reports that out-of-pocket prescription drug costs are soaring for people with Medicare Part D, particularly for people who use a lot of medicines. In...
Trump abandons plan to lower drug prices for people with Medicare
President Trump has abandoned his latest plan to lower prescription drug costs for people with Medicare. And, knowing that the cost of prescription drugs is a top policy issue for Americans...
Medicare may cover acupuncture for lower back pain
The Washington Post reports that, under a new proposal, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) would permit Medicare to cover acupuncture for lower back pain in limited situations...
Vice-President Biden calls for expanding Social Security, while...
At an AARP Iowa forum, Vice-President Joe Biden unequivocally called for expanding Social Security benefits. Regrettably, Biden still opposes Medicare for All. In Biden’s words: ‘We...