Blog

• Sick Profit: Investigating Private Equity’s Stealthy Takeover of Health Care Across Cities and Specialties

  November 21, 2022: Two-year-old Zion Gastelum died just days after dentists performed root canals and put crowns on six baby teeth at a clinic affiliated with a private equity firm. His parents sued the Kool Smiles dental clinic in Yuma, Arizona, and its private equ...Read more >

• Kaiser Health News: Supreme Court to Hear Nursing Home Case That Could Affect Millions

  November 10, 2022: When Susie Talevski sued the agency that managed her elderly father’s care before he died, she hoped to get justice for her family. She did not expect the case would grow into a national bellwether. A ruling against her could strip millions of vuln...Read more >

• Kaiser Health News: Say What? Hearing Aids Available Over-the-Counter for as Low as $199, and Without a Prescription

  October 21, 2022: Starting Monday, consumers will be able to buy hearing aids directly off store shelves and at dramatically lower prices as a 2017 federal law finally takes effect. Where for decades it cost thousands of dollars to get a device that could be purcha...Read more >

• Nursing Home Surprise: Advantage Plans May Shorten Stays to Less Time Than Medicare Covers

  October 07, 2022: After 11 days in a St. Paul, Minnesota, skilled nursing facility recuperating from a fall, Paula Christopherson, 97, was told by her insurer that she should return home. But instead of being relieved, Christopherson and her daughter were worried b...Read more >

• Clearing Pollution Helps Clear the Fog of Aging — And May Cut the Risk of Dementia

  September 22, 2022: During the past decade, a growing body of research has shown that air pollution harms older adults’ brains, contributing to cognitive decline and dementia. What hasn’t been clear is whether improving air quality would benefit brain health. Two...Read more >

• While Inflation Takes a Toll on Seniors, Billions of Dollars in Benefits Go Unused

  September 15, 2022: Millions of older adults are having trouble making ends meet, especially during these inflationary times. Yet many don’t realize help is available, and some notable programs that offer financial assistance are underused. A few examples: Nearly ...Read more >

• Walking More Will Cut Your Risk of Developing Dementia

  September 13, 2022: Walking between 3,800 and 9,800 steps each day can reduce your risk of mental decline, according to a new Journal of the American Medical Association study. People between the ages of 40 and 79 who took 9,826 steps per day were 50% less likely to ...Read more >

• Union Support Reaches Its Highest Point In Nearly Six Decades

  September 06, 2022: The latest Gallup poll shows that 71 percent of Americans currently approve of unions. Americans have not shown such a high level of support for unions since 1965. Union workers are more likely than nonunion workers to have retirement benefits. Ac...Read more >

• New Study Shows Paxlovid Decreases COVID Deaths for Older People

  September 06, 2022: A new study indicates that Pfizer’s COVID-19 treatment, Paxlovid, significantly reduces deaths and hospitalizations for patients aged 65 years and older. According to recent data, adults who are 65 years or older account for 80 percent of COVID-19 ...Read more >

• After Crackdown, Medicare Advantage Marketers Tone Down Sales Tactics

  September 06, 2022: Medicare Advantage plans are being forced to tone down their aggressive advertising this year in response to increased oversight from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The new guidelines were prompted by an increase in consumer co...Read more >