By some accounts, 2.6 millions Americans are addicted to painkiller medications–opioids–and nearly 30,000 people have died from them as we have written about on Just Care. Last Week...
Diane Archer
How can we rely on paid caregivers?
Many older adults who want to age in their communities must rely on paid caregivers to provide long-term care services. But, the two million home care workers in the U.S. have little financial...
Paying less for hospital care through reference pricing
Only an an all-payer system with uniform health care rates, will keep us from wildly varying and out-of-control hospital and doctor rates. But, since Congress is not likely to go that route any...
Social Security benefits barely rising in 2017
Social Security just announced the cost-of-living adjustment, COLA, for Social Security, and the news is bleak. Social Security benefits are barely rising. The typical older adult receiving benefits...
A medical device may make heart surgery even riskier
Every year, more than half a million Americans have heart bypass surgery to get blood flowing to the heart. As we all know, heart surgery can be risky. What most of us don’t know is that a new...
Traditional Medicare is changing
The New York Times reports that Medicare has finalized a new rule under which traditional Medicare is changing its provider payment system. The goal is to improve care for patients while reducing...
Four ways Congress could weaken Medicare
Much like Social Security, Americans across the political spectrum prize Medicare. Medicare provides the anchor for their health security if they are over 65 or have a disability and offers peace of...
State insurance commissioners favor insurance industry
A new report from the Center on Public Integrity, Drinks, Dinners, Junkets and Jobs, lays out the tight relationship between state insurance commissioners and the insurance industry and what that...
Federal drug discount program likely hurts cancer patients
Almost half the hospitals in the U.S. that treat Medicare patients, participate in the federal government’s 340B program, designed to provide discounts to safety net health providers and increase...
Five ways Congress could weaken Social Security
Of all the federal government programs in the U.S., Social Security is perhaps the most treasured. Democratic and Republican voters alike value Social Security deeply. But, Republican leaders in...