| Advocacy |
AA Homecare Proposes 13-Point Plan To Stop Medicare Fraud, Recoup Billions
Tough new steps must be taken to prevent fraud and abuse in Medicare, says the American Association for Homecare (AA Homecare) which proposes 13 specific recommendations that could eliminate most of the Medicare fraud attributed to the home medical equipment (HME) sector. The Association has been working with Congress and regulators over the past year to adopt tougher, more effective measures to combat Medicare fraud. Login to see complete story
10/28/2008 09:15 AM
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Another Part C And Part D Enrollment Period To Begin, But Will Marketing Tactics Improve?
Another annual enrollment period (AEP) for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans under Medicare Part C and prescription drug plans (PDPs) under Medicare Part D begins on Nov. 15. A key question for advocates is whether the misrepresentation and fraudulent marketing practices engaged in by some MA plans, PDPs, their agents and brokers will be reduced as a result of recent legislative and regulatory changes, says attorney Vicki Gottlich of the Center for Medicare Advocacy. Login to see complete story
10/31/2008 12:38 PM
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| Capitol Hill |
Expect Major Changes Proposed For Medicare Next Year
While community health centers depend on Medicare payments in order to serve elderly patients, Congressional sources tell us that there will be a major battle next year on how to bring funding of the program under control. No matter who becomes president, swift and effective action must be taken, sources say, in order to rein in a program that cost $432 billion last year, doubling in just seven years. Login to see complete story
10/29/2008 1:24 PM
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U.S. Pension Agency Lost Almost $5 Billion in Stocks in FY 2008
The U.S. Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s investment losses now total almost $5 billion in fiscal year 2008, according to information released at a House Education & Labor Committee hearing Friday. Login to see complete story
10/27/2008 07:13 AM
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Waxman Releases GAO Report On Federal Oversight Of Part D Drug Pricing
House Oversight & Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-A) has released a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that finds the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has only conducted half of the scheduled audits of drug pricing information reported by the Part D plans. Login to see complete story
10/31/2008 1:38 PM
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| Federal Agencies |
HUD, PHA Certifying Hundreds Accessibility-Based Units
The Department of Housing & Urban Development and the Philadelphia Housing Authority have struck a deal to certify 760 "fully accessible" housing units for older and disabled city residents. The homes, to be dispersed throughout many of the city's neighborhoods, will include lower level kitchen counters, entry ramps and universal bathroom features among many amenities. Login to see complete story
10/29/2008 3:19 PM
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Social Security Launches Nationwide Initiative To Fast Track Applications For People With Cancers, Rare Diseases
The head of the Social Security Administration, Commissioner Michael Astrue, has unveiled the agency’s nationwide rollout of the Compassionate Allowances initiative, a way to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s standards. Login to see complete story
10/28/2008 08:06 AM
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| Financial Services |
Senior Housing/Healthcare Lender Offers Tips For Surviving Tight Credit Market
Owners and operators of senior housing/healthcare facilities need to recognize and avoid failed funding strategies that effectively place the cart before the horse in a tight credit market, one expert advises. Jeffrey Davis, chairman of Cambridge Realty Capital Companies, predicts financing for senior housing/healthcare properties will continue to be limited over the next 12 months, with local and regional banks and government agencies the primary sources for funding. Login to see complete story
10/30/2008 06:02 AM
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| Fitness & Health |
Older Americans More Likely Hit Harder By Flu
For most people, getting influenza, commonly known as "the flu" means feeling achy and feverish for a week or so. But for people 65 years and older, the flu can be much more serious, even deadly. People in this age group are at high risk of serious flu complications because they have weaker immune systems, making them more vulnerable to illnesses such as flu. Login to see complete story
10/30/2008 1:08 PM
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| Funding Opportunities |
Award In Aging Research Supports Work In Biological Gerontology
(Deadline: Dec. 16) The Ellison Medical Foundation and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) invite proposals for the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research program from outstanding mid-career scientists who propose novel directions of high importance to biological gerontology. Login to see complete story
10/27/2008 4:36 PM
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HRSA Offers $2.9M For Geriatric Nursing Training
(Deadline: Dec. 19) This program trains and educates nursing personnel in providing geriatric care. Grants provide support for training of individuals, development and dissemination of curricula relating to the treatment of the health problems of elderly individuals; training faculty members in geriatrics; and continuing education to individuals who provide geriatric care. Login to see complete story
10/28/2008 08 AM
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| Message From The Editor |
A Message from the Publisher
How will Tuesday's elections affect your concerns? Will changes in Congressional leadership affect programs you count on? How can you prepare for (or take advantage of) new budget priorities, and changes in the still unfinished FY09 budget? What will new political leadership mean to the challenges facing the housing market, mortgage finance, and financial services? What will emerge as THE issues in 2009 for trade groups and associations? Login to see complete story
10/31/2008 12:52 PM
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| News in the States |
FL Secretary Of State To Ask County Supervisors To Grant GAO Access To Polls
Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning has responded to a request from Sens. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), saying he will encourage county election supervisors to grant the Government Accountability Office access to Florida polling places on Election Day as part of GAO’s nationwide study examining voting access for aging and disabled voters during the 2008 general election. Login to see complete story
10/27/2008 07:04 AM
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| Research and Reports |
Healthiness I Old Age Requires Advance Planning
If you plan to "thrive" when you are 65, you need to invest in your health decades earlier. A new study in the October issue of The Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences (Volume 63A, Number 10) finds that fewer than 10% of people aged 65-85 maintain exceptional emotional and physical health throughout their golden years. These so-called "thrivers" share specific behavioral and lifestyle characteristics that may hold the key to healthy aging, according to the study's authors. Login to see complete story
10/27/2008 4:26 PM
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Prostate Cancer Prevention Study Review Shows No Benefit For Using Selenium, Vitamin E Supplements
Initial, independent review of study data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and other institutes that comprise the National Institutes of Health shows that selenium and vitamin E supplements, taken either alone or together, did not prevent prostate cancer, a disease that often strikes men age 50 and older. Login to see complete story
10/28/2008 07:48 AM
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| Retirement |
AARP: Economic Slump Delaying Retirements
A study released today by the AARP finds that "at least seven in 10 Americans older than 45 expect they will have to continue to work beyond 65," because "as the global economic slump affects their savings and pensions and the cost of living climbs...they will need the money or will need to support members of their family." Login to see complete story
10/27/2008 12:27 PM
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| Services |
Leukemia Information Added to NIH Web Site about Senior Health
"An estimated 44,000 new cases of leukemia will be diagnosed this year, and the majority of those cases will involve older adults," says Dr. John Niederhuber, director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a component of the NIH. "The new leukemia topic on NIHSeniorHealth is an excellent source of easy-to-understand information that will help older people, their families and caregivers learn about this disease, its diagnosis and treatment." Login to see complete story
10/28/2008 07:55 AM
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