The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an arm of the federal government, reports that almost four million older adults owe as much as $54 billion in medical debt. Of those, 98 percent have either...
Diane Archer
It’s once again time to get your flu shot!
It’s important to get the flu shot every year, no matter how old you are. It’s particularly important for older adults. And, it is all the more important with Covid-19 surging. Now that...
Coronavirus: Should you get the 2023 booster shot?
The next Covid-19 booster shot should now be available from your local pharmacy, health clinic or doctor’s office. Medicare pays for it in full, whether you are enrolled in Traditional Medicare...
Insurers promote Humira over lower cost alternatives
Humira, which treats rheumatoid arthritis and costs a small fortune, is a blockbuster drug that millions of Americans depend on. Fortunately, there are now far lower-cost biosimilar alternatives...
New Medicare rule should lower health care costs for 860,000...
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services just finalized a rule to make it easier for people with Medicare on low incomes to enroll in Medicare Savings Programs. More than 850,000 people should...
Silver tsunami leaves a large cohort of older adults unable to...
Shannon Majnabadi reports for the Wall Street Journal on the rise of homelessness among baby boomers. As America ages, more older Americans cannot afford housing. The high proportion of older adults...
What happens when a Medicare Advantage plan endangers people’s...
Medicare Advantage plans delay and deny care inappropriately, putting their members’ health at risk. Enrollees with serious medical conditions can find themselves unable to get critical care. As a...
Medicare Advantage plans have little reason to address...
Nearly half of all Medicare Advantage members leave their Medicare Advantage plans within five years of enrolling, according to a recent study by David Meyers et al. at the Brown University School of...
Falls are primary cause of harm and death for people over 65
Unintentional falls are the primary cause of harm and death for people over 65 reports the Centers for Disease Control in a new report. You might have thought it was car accidents or cancer...
Family caregiving: Costly, lonely and stressful work
Most Americans want to grow old in their homes, where they are most comfortable, not in a facility. But, because the US does not support paid caregiving, which is extremely costly, the job generally...