Her First Colonoscopy Cost Her $0. Her Second Cost $2,185. Why?
Preventive care, like screening colonoscopies, is supposed to be free of charge to patients under the Affordable Care Act. But some hospitals haven鈥檛 gotten the memo.
吃瓜不打烊鈥 coverage related to aging and improving care of older adults is supported in part by .
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Got Long Covid? Medical Expertise Is Vital, and Seniors Should Prepare to Go Slow
Although identifying long covid in older adults can be tricky, experts say there are good strategies for getting medical advice and fighting the impact of the virus.
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鈥楾hat鈥檚 Just Part of Aging鈥: Long Covid Symptoms Are Often Overlooked in Seniors
Millions of older adults are grappling with long covid, yet the impact on them has received little attention even though research suggests seniors are more likely to develop the poorly understood condition than younger or middle-aged adults.
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After the Pandemic Hit Nursing Homes Hard, California Lawmakers Push to Tighten Licensing Rules
Legislators are proposing an overhaul of California鈥檚 licensing system for nursing homes that would make it the most stringent in the country. They argue that disreputable and unlicensed owners and operators have harmed residents. The industry describes the proposed requirements as excessive.
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Why Won鈥檛 More Older Americans Get Their Covid Booster?
Approximately 1 in 3 Americans 65 and older who completed their initial vaccination round still have not received a first booster shot. The numbers dismay researchers, who say the lag has cost tens of thousands of lives.
By Liz Szabo -
Medicare Surprise: Drug Plan Prices Touted During Open Enrollment Can Rise Within a Month
Even the savviest Medicare drug plan shoppers can get a shock when they fill prescriptions: That great deal on medications is no bargain after prices go up.
By Susan Jaffe -
KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: More Covid Complications for Congress
Congress is back in session, but covid diagnoses for Vice President Kamala Harris and two Democratic senators have temporarily left the Senate without a working majority to approve continued covid funding. Meanwhile, opponents of the Affordable Care Act have filed yet another lawsuit challenging a portion of the law, and we say goodbye to the late Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, who left a long legacy of health laws. Rachel Cohrs of STAT News, Anna Edney of Bloomberg News, and Rebecca Adams of KHN join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.
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Advance Care Planning for Guns: Owners Can Help Ensure Safe Use and Transfer of Weapons
Colorado researchers publish a tool to help gun owners and family members plan ahead for safe firearm use and transfers in the event of disability or death.
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Washington State Retools First-in-the-Nation Long-Term Care Benefit
The WA Cares Fund program, which would provide workers in the state a lifetime benefit of $36,500, was set to begin collecting money through a payroll tax in January, but it was delayed while lawmakers made adjustments to address equity problems. Now the payroll deductions will begin in July 2023, and benefits will become available in 2026.
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KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: News You Might Have Missed
Congress is in recess, so the slower-than-average news week gives us a chance to catch up on underreported topics, like Medicare鈥檚 coverage decision for the controversial Alzheimer鈥檚 disease drug Aduhelm and ominous new statistics on drug overdose deaths and sexually transmitted diseases. Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Joanne Kenen of Politico and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN鈥檚 Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week they think you should read, too.
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Private Equity Ownership of Nursing Homes Triggers Capitol Hill Questions 鈥 And a GAO Probe
In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden decried these financial arrangements, which two members of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee had already asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate.
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It鈥檚 Your Choice: You Can Change Your Views of Aging and Improve Your Life
Becca Levy of Yale University talks with 鈥淣avigating Aging鈥 columnist Judith Graham about how people can alter ingrained perceptions of aging 鈥 which are often formed unconsciously and are unrecognized.
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Why Black and Hispanic Seniors Are Left With a Less Powerful Flu Vaccine
Federal health officials haven鈥檛 taken a clear position on whether a high-dose influenza vaccine 鈥 on the market since 2010 鈥 is the best choice for people 65 and older. Many in that group already opt for the costlier enhanced shot. Those who get the standard vaccine are disproportionately members of ethnic and racial minorities.
By Arthur Allen -
As US Nears 1 Million Covid Deaths, One Hard-Hit County Grapples With Unthinkable Loss
The United States is nearing 1 million deaths from covid 鈥 an almost incomprehensible number of lives lost that few thought possible when the pandemic began. Pennsylvania鈥檚 Mifflin County offers a snapshot into how one hard-hit community, with over 300 dead, is coping.
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KHN鈥檚 鈥榃hat the Health?鈥: Funding for the Next Pandemic
In his proposed budget, President Joe Biden called for a boost in health spending that includes billions of dollars to prepare for a future pandemic. But that doesn鈥檛 include money he says is needed immediately for testing and treating covid-19. Also this week, federal regulators authorized a second booster shot for people 50 and older yet gave little guidance to consumers about who needs the shot and when. Amy Goldstein of The Washington Post, Jennifer Haberkorn of the Los Angeles Times, and Rachana Pradhan of KHN join KHN鈥檚 Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Plus, Julie Rovner interviews KHN鈥檚 Julie Appleby, who reported and wrote the latest KHN-NPR 鈥淏ill of the Month鈥 episode about a very expensive air ambulance ride.
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鈥楾he Danger Is Still There鈥 鈥 As Omicron Lurks, Native Americans Are Wary of Boosters
Federal data shows that vaccination rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives were some of the highest in the nation, but tribes say resistance has slowed efforts to boost members.
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To Families鈥 Dismay, Biden Nursing Home Reform Doesn鈥檛 View Them as Essential Caregivers
Relatives who often provide vital caregiving for nursing home residents say the lockdowns during the covid pandemic showed the need for family members to visit in person with their loved ones. About a dozen states have passed laws guaranteeing that right, and California is considering one.
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Medicare Advantage Plans Send Pals to Seniors鈥 Homes for Companionship 鈥 And Profits
Many Medicare Advantage plans send caregivers to the homes of seniors periodically to help with housework and provide companionship. But the workers may also prod seniors into activities that boost the plans鈥 Medicare ratings and federal reimbursements.
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Despite Seniors鈥 Strong Desire to Age in Place, the Village Model Remains a Boutique Option
Membership-based villages help arrange services for seniors 鈥 such as handyman help or transportation to appointments 鈥 and provide social connections through classes, leisure opportunities, or community events. Despite great promise, they have been slow to expand because of difficulties raising funding and keeping people interested.
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Patients Divided Over Alzheimer鈥檚 Drug: Is It a 鈥楻isk I鈥檓 Willing to Take鈥 or Just a 鈥楳agic Pill鈥?
Medicare has proposed limiting coverage of Aduhelm, the costly new drug to treat Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, and several prominent groups representing patients and their families are pressing the program to make it more widely available. But among individuals facing the disease, the outlook is more nuanced.