All posts by noah

Why Doesn’t Medicare Cover Services So Many Seniors Need?

Sorry, Joe Namath. Despite what you keep saying in those TV ads, under Medicare, seniors are not “entitled to eliminate copays and get dental care, dentures, eyeglasses, prescription drug coverage, in-home aides, unlimited transportation and home-delivered meals, all at no ad... Read more

‘Wisdom and Fear’ Lead 90% of U.S. Seniors to Covid Vaccines

Amid the latest surge in covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, the United States on Tuesday hit a milestone that some thought was unattainable: 90% of people 65 and older are at least partly vaccinated against the disease. That’s more than 49 million seniors vaccinated. Ove... Read more

KHN: Though Millions Are at Risk for Diabetes, Medicare Struggles to Expand Prevention Program

Damon Diessner tried for years to slim down from his weight of more than 400 pounds, partly because his size embarrassed his wife but even more because his doctors told him he was at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. His hemoglobin A1c level, a blood sugar marker, was 6.3%, jus... Read more

Calming Computer Jitters: Help for Seniors Who Aren’t Tech-Savvy

Six months ago, Cindy Sanders, 68, bought a computer so she could learn how to email and have Zoom chats with her great-grandchildren. It’s still sitting in a box, unopened. “I didn’t know how to set it up or how to get help,” said Sanders, who lives in Philadel... Read more

Black and Hispanic Americans Suffer Most in Biggest US Decline in Life Expectancy Since WWII

[caption id="attachment_12157" align="alignnone" width="960"] PHOENIX, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 07: Maricopa County constable Darlene Martinez evicts a tenant on October 7, 2020 in Phoenix, Arizona. Thousands of court-ordered evictions continue nationwide despite a Centers for Disease C... Read more

Pandemic Swells Medicaid Enrollment to 80 Million People, a ‘High-Water Mark’

The pandemic-caused recession and a federal requirement that states keep Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled until the national emergency ends swelled the pool of people in the program by more than 9 million over the past year, according to a report released Thursday. The latest... Read more

77,739 Retirees Call on Congress to Pass the Social Security Fairness Act

Retirees from across the country today submitted tens of thousands of petition signatures to 36 key senators and members of Congress urging them to pass S. 1302 and H.R. 82, the Social Security Fairness Act. These provisions reduce Social Security benefits for public sector r... Read more

Zooming Into the Statehouse: Nursing Home Residents Use New Digital Skills to Push for Changes

Patty Bausch testified remotely before a Connecticut state legislative hearing on Feb. 23, 2021. (CONNECTICUT GENERAL ASSEMBLY AGING COMMITTEE PUBLIC HEARING VIA YOUTUBE) Patty Bausch isn’t a Medicaid expert, lawyer or medical professional. But she still thinks Connecti... Read more

Caring for an Aging Nation

A Variety of Services Booming Number of Seniors The Cost of Long-Term Care Services The Physical – and Financial – Burden The $61 Billion Price Tag Health care for the nation’s seniors looms large as the baby-boom generation ages into retirement. President Joe Biden ... Read more