Stories by Week

NCOA Urges More Funding for OAA Programs The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is urging its members to contact members of Congress and ask them to sign on to a letter authored by Reps. Bill Delahunt (D-MA), Todd Platts (R-PA) and Ron Klein (D-FL) in support of a 12% increase in Older Americans Act (OAA) funding. Login to see complete story
03/30/2009 3:44 PM

Capitol Hill

HHS Secretary-Designate Sebelius Woos Senate HELP Committee Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS), President Obama's pick to become Health & Human Services Secretary, on Tuesday (March 31) told members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee that American has "by far the most expensive health system in the world." Login to see complete story
03/31/2009 2:56 PM

National Council on Disability Calls for New Federal Approach to Disability Policy The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released its annual report to the president and Congress calling for a new integrated approach to disability policy within the federal government. Login to see complete story
03/31/2009 4:09 PM

NCOA Pressuring Congress to Include Long-Term Services, Supports in Health Reform Believing that health reform legislation will move quickly once federal lawmakers return from their Easter recess on April 20, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) wants its members to press Congress to include long-term services and supports in the legislation. Login to see complete story
04/03/2009 1:18 PM

Federal Agencies

FDA, CDC Warn Aging Services Providers on Recalled Food Products Containing Peanuts The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have received reports of elderly nursing home residents dying from eating food products containing peanuts contaminated by salmonella. Both are reiterating warnings to aging services providers to carefully check their institutional supplies of peanut butter and other products containing peanut ingredients for food items that may be affected by the recent voluntary recalls. Login to see complete story
04/01/2009 4:52 PM

Fitness & Health

Eating Disorders Sending More Americans to Hospital; Steep Rise in Older Patients The number of men and women hospitalized due to eating disorders that caused anemia, kidney failure, erratic heart rhythms or other problems rose 18% between 1999 and 2006, according to the latest numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. Hospitalizations for eating disorders rose most sharply for children under 12 years of age -- 119%. The second steepest rise was for patients ages 45 to 64 -- 48%. Login to see complete story
04/01/2009 2:28 PM

Funding Opportunities

CMS Releases Funding for State Health Insurance Counseling Programs Nearly $36 million in funding is being distributed to the 54 State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) to help people with Medicare get more information about their healthcare choices. The $35.8 million in funding is the first installment of federal grant funds provided to SHIPs by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the grant year beginning April 1, 2009, and ending March 31, 2010. Login to see complete story
04/03/2009 12:14 PM

Legal Services Corp. to Release Grants for Low-Income Legal Help Does your agency or organization provide legal assistance to low-income seniors? If so, you will want to know about the latest news from the Legal Services Corp. (LSC), the national organization that's charged with administering federal funds provided for civil legal services to low-income people. Login to see complete story
04/03/2009 12:37 PM

Safeway Foundation Provides Funding for Hunger Relief The Safeway Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the national grocery store chain, provides funding for nonprofits focusing on hunger relief, education, health and human services and people with special needs in areas of the company's operations. Login to see complete story
04/03/2009 12:55 PM

SCAN Foundation Offers Funding to Assess Long-Term Care Programs for Elderly The SCAN Foundation, a charitable foundation focused on finding innovative solutions to the healthcare needs of California's senior citizens (persons age 65 and older), invites proposals to support the dissemination and assessment of promising new program models that could inform and strengthen long-term care public policy development. Login to see complete story
03/30/2009 06:01 AM

Medicare/Medicaid

CMS Issues 2010 Guidance for Medicare Advantage, Rx Drug Plans CMS is taking steps to "provide beneficiaries with more meaningful choices among Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug plans," the agency says. In addition, CMS will continue to build on its ongoing oversight efforts relating to Medicare health and drug plans. Login to see complete story
03/30/2009 2:27 PM

Establishing Coordinated Care Benefit in the Traditional Medicare Program Officials at the Center for Medicare Advocacy (CMA) note that there is renewed interest in the Congress for establishing a coordinated care benefit in the traditional Medicare program. In CMA's view, any healthcare reform -- including Medicare reform -- must embrace a coordinated care benefit. Login to see complete story
04/02/2009 3:43 PM

Medicare to Test Pay Incentives to Improve Care in Nursing Homes Officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) are about to launch a new, four-state demonstration to determine if cash incentives will improve the quality of care and efficiency of operations in nursing homes. Nursing homes in Arizona, Mississippi, New York and Wisconsin will be asked to participate. Login to see complete story
03/30/2009 06:02 AM

News in the States

NCOA to Create Jobs for Older Americans Through Labor Dept. Stimulus Funds The National Council on Aging (NCOA) began an ambitious program today (April 1) to create more jobs for low-income older workers in several states, thanks to $6.9 million in stimulus funding from the Senior Service Community Employment Program under the U.S. Department of Labor. Login to see complete story
04/01/2009 3:54 PM

Research and Reports

Study: Cost of Unplanned Hospital Readmission Exceeds $17 Billion Annually One of five Medicare beneficiaries discharged from the hospital is readmitted within 30 days, and half of non-surgical patients are readmitted to the hospital without having seen an outpatient doctor in follow-up, find the authors of a Commonwealth Fund-supported study in appearing in today's New En... Login to see complete story
04/01/2009 12:08 PM

Services

2009 National Healthcare Decisions Day is April 16 This is a nationwide initiative aimed at raising public awareness about the need to plan ahead for healthcare decisions and to encourage the use of advance directives to communicate important healthcare decisions. Login to see complete story
04/03/2009 12:01 PM

Retirement: It's Not Just for Old Folks, Anymore! For some, the word retirement conjures images of rocking chairs, sunsets, shuffleboard, and the occasional big night out for a bus ride to the bingo hall. For young people and even those who are approaching the top of the hill, these ideas are about as attractive as a long, slow root canal sans Novocain. But Mary Lloyd, author of "Supercharged Retirement," is out to change all of that. Login to see complete story
04/01/2009 2:52 PM

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