Morning Report: Seattle and national health news roundup

Honey often mislabeled and adulterated

The international honey trade is “fire with crime and intrigue” with honey traders “resorting to elaborate schemes to dodge tariffs and health safeguards”, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer senior correspondent Andrew Schneider reports in a two-part investigative series on the honey industry.

As a result, Schneider warns, don’t believe the label. “You may be paying more for honey labeled ‘certified organic’ or feel reassured by the ‘USDA Grade A’ seal, but the truth is, there are few federal standards for honey, no government certification and no consequences for making false claims,” Schneider writes.

To learn more:

• Read Schneider’s articles “A sticky trail of intrigue and crime” and “Don’t let claims on the label dupe you” in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. 

Low-income hospital patients not being told they qualify for free care or discounts

Seattle Times health reporter Kyung M. Song reports that although Washington state law says anyone whose income falls below the poverty line is entitled to charity care and low-income patients earning more are often eligible for charity discounts, many eligible patients are not being told they qualify and are being saddled with staggering medical bills.

To learn more:

• Read Song’s Seattle Times article: “No money, no insurance, no mercy“.

New model of care needed to stave off crisis in geriatric medicine

Facing a soaring number of seniors and a dwindling number of geriatric specialists, the U.S. is going to have to develop a new system for caring for the aged based on teams of geriatricians, primary care doctors, nurses and other care providers, according to an article by Jane Brody New York Times reporter.

To learn more:

• Read Jane Brody’s article: New Model of Care Needed, Experts Say.
• Visit the American Geriatrics Society’s Web site.
• For links to local resources visit the Healthy Aging Partnership Web site.

Tags: Aging, Diet, Geriatrics, Health Insurance, Hospitals, Medical Bills, Nutrition, Seniors

Category: Diet & Nutrition, Health Insurance, Health-care Policy, Hospital News, Senior Health