Stories by Week

(ADVOCACY) AARP Turns Up Pressure on Lawmakers to Improve Long-Term Care AARP, the nation's largest advocacy organization representing the interests of seniors, is pressuring lawmakers to improve the U.S. long-term care system as a part of comprehensive reform. Association sources tell Aging News Alert this beefed-up lobbying campaign in support of improved long-term care is a top priority on AARP's legislative agenda for 2009. Login to see complete story
06/01/2009 2:15 PM

(ADVOCACY) NCOA Joins with Other Groups for National Call-In Day, June 4 The National Council on Aging (NCOA) will join this week with several other seniors' advocacy organizations, including AARP (see related story), in pressuring lawmakers to draft a comprehensive health reform bill that includes a long-term healthcare provision for seniors. Login to see complete story
06/01/2009 3:06 PM

(HEALTH REFORM) Groups Send Obama Detailed Proposal on Healthcare Cost Reduction Health-related organizations who a month ago pledged to support President Obama's call for major reductions in the cost of healthcare have signed onto a 28-page joint letter spelling out what it is they plan to do in the coming weeks. The issue is especially important to seniors and others on fixed incomes, most of whom have seen significant increases in out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare. Login to see complete story
06/02/2009 4:35 PM

(HEALTH REFORM) Groups Vow to Spend $82 Million for Healthcare Reform Legislation Eleven progressive advocacy organizations June 1 announce the formation of Health Care for America Now, a coalition that plans to spend $82 million in support of reform legislation that it wants to include a "public plan," probably along the lines of Medicare. The coalition was unveiled at a press conference on the first day of a three-day Washington conference hosted by Campaign for America's Future, successor to Take Back America. Login to see complete story
06/01/2009 5:43 PM

Capitol Hill

(LONG-TERM CARE) Senate Aging Committee Witnesses Support Kohl's Long-Term Care Legislation While state actions to implement Long-Term Care Partnerships (LTCP) to leverage private insurance and Medicaid coverage have made great strides in helping seniors protect themselves, much more needs to be done, say witnesses at a June 3 hearing who support the Confidence in Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) bill (S 1177). The bill was authored by Senate Aging Committee Chairman Herb Kohl (D-WI), which means, in all probability, it will at least clear the committee. Login to see complete story
06/04/2009 4:45 PM

Fitness & Health

(HEALTHY AGING) In Focus: Seniors Need More Socialization as They Continue to Age Increased attention is being focused on the importance of socializing and maintaining human relationships throughout life. Experts on aging have long suspected that socialization improves physical and emotional well-being, increases mental alertness and encourages a more active lifestyle. Login to see complete story
06/03/2009 1:27 PM

Funding Opportunities

(GRANTS) $30 Million Going for Medicare Special Assistance Education Effort The Department of Health & Human services today (June 1) released $25 million in grants to help older people, individuals with disabilities and their caregivers apply for special assistance through Medicare, and an additional $5 million for a national resource center to support these important efforts. Login to see complete story
06/01/2009 3:41 PM

(GRANTS) Fox Foundation Offers $2M in New Parkinson's Research Funding The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research has announced a funding commitment of $2 million for Biomarkers 2009. The foundation's fourth round of biomarker funding aims to continue stimulating discovery of new disease and drug biomarkers. Login to see complete story
06/03/2009 2:41 PM

(SERVICE CORPS) Funding Available to Bolster Healthcare, Relieve Providers' Student Debt If you're in the healthcare profession and still owe money on your student loan, you'll be interested to know that nearly $200 million from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act is being released by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to support student loan repayments for primary care medical, dental and mental health clinicians who want to work at National Health Service Corps sites. In exchange for the loan repayments, clinicians serve for two years with the Corps. Login to see complete story
06/05/2009 3:20 PM

(WORKFORCE) RWJF Offers Health & Society Scholars Program (Deadline: Oct. 2) The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health & Society Scholars program provides two years of support to postdoctoral scholars at all stages of their careers to build the United States' capacity for research and leadership to address the multiple determinants of population health and contribute to policy change. The program is based on the principle that progress in the field of population health depends upon multidisciplinary collaboration and exchange. Login to see complete story
06/03/2009 2:47 PM

Housing

(HOUSING) Policy Gurus Advocate Community-Based Approaches to Senior Housing Gerontological Society of America researchers Jon Pynoos and Caroline Cicero, in the latest installment of Public Policy & Aging Report, track the United States' progress in the development of aging-friendly communities. These include home modification and community-level innovations designed to lessen isolation and increase social interaction. Login to see complete story
06/01/2009 02:13 AM

Research and Reports

(REPORT) Council of Economic Advisers Focuses on Need for Health Reform While the American healthcare system has many virtues, it is also burdened by significant inefficiencies and market failures, finds a new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers. Indeed, some of the strongest evidence of such inefficiencies comes from the tremendous variation across states in Medicare spending per enrollee, with no evidence of corresponding variations in either medical needs or outcomes, the CEA says. Login to see complete story
06/03/2009 3:31 PM

(SWINE FLU) New Report Finds 10 Early Lessons Learned from the H1N1 Outbreak A just-released study from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), the Center for Biosecurity, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) finds that the initial response to the H1N1 outbreak showed strong coordination and communication and an ability to adapt to changing circumstances from U.S. officials. But it also showed how quickly the nation's core public health capacity would be overwhelmed if an outbreak were more severe or widespread. Login to see complete story
06/04/2009 5:44 PM

Retirement

(PENSIONS) GM Pension Plans to Remain Ongoing During Company Bankruptcy Officials at the federal government's Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) say that even though General Motors has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, its two defined benefit pension plans will remain ongoing under GM's sponsorship. Both plans -- one for hourly workers and one for salaried employees -- continue to be insured by the PBGC, which guarantees benefits up to limits set by law. Login to see complete story
06/02/2009 4:10 PM

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