Senior Alerts
Government Watchdogs Attack Medicare Advantage for Denying Care and Overcharging
Article Summary: Congress should crack down on Medicare Advantage health plans for seniors that sometimes deny patients vital medical care while overcharging the government billions of dollars every year. By Fred Schulte, KHN, Jun 29,… Read More
Looking to Tackle Prescription Overload
Article Summary: Most older adults are prescribed with an overload of drugs that may not be beneficial or could lead to drug interactions affecting their quality of life. This article explores the benefits of “deprescribing”…. Read More
1-In-3 Seniors Prescribed ‘Potentially Inappropriate’ Medications
By John Commins, Health Leaders Media, Oct 26, 2020. One-in-three older Americans is prescribed inappropriate medications and that leads to increased hospitalizations and an additional $458 a year in per-patient healthcare spending, according to new… Read More
Common Meds Tied to Faster Mental Decline in Seniors
By Amy Norton, US News, Sep 03, 2020. A group of widely used medications might speed up older adults’ mental decline — especially if they are at increased risk of dementia, a new study hints…. Read More
More Than 200 Doctors Stay on Medicare Rolls Despite Disciplinary Actions
By Matt Wynn, MedPage Today and John Fauber, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 17, 2018 | Updated Dec. 31, 2018. Doctors who land in hot water with state regulators have a helping hand when it comes to keeping… Read More
Home Health Care Is Suddenly Harder To Come By For Medicare Patients
By Judith Graham, KHN.org, FEBRUARY 3, 2020. The decision came out of the blue. “Your husband isn’t going to get any better, so we can’t continue services,” an occupational therapist told Deloise “Del” Holloway in early November…. Read More
The Hidden Drug Problem: Seniors Medication Overload
By Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN, the President of The John A. Hartford Foundation. August 20, 2019. An Interview with the Institue for Healthcare Improvement. In a recent Health Affairs article, you and Shannon Brownlee of… Read More
Drugs Causing Hearing Loss and Tinnitus
What Is an Ototoxic Drug? According to Neil Bauman, Ph.D., “Ototoxic drugs are those medications that can cause ototoxic (ear damaging) side effects to your ears. Such drugs can cause hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, and other...
Millions Of Diabetes Patients Are Missing Out On Medicare’s Nutrition Help
By Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News, Sep 09, 2019. Louis Rocco has lived with diabetes for decades but, until he met with a registered dietitian in August, he didn’t know eating too much bread was dangerous… Read More