Medicaid

The coming nursing home shortage

The coming nursing home shortage

The latest casualty of the Great Recession may soon be the nation’s elderly. Cuts in government payments for patient care and less construction of new nursing homes are already taking a toll. Add to this the aging baby boom generation and you have a worst-case scenario.

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January 27, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Long-term care insurance can come up short

Long-term care insurance can come up short

Will it cover your needs? Can you pay for it? Can you afford not to have it?

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January 24, 2012 | 1 Comment More
Tips for buying long-term care insurance

Tips for buying long-term care insurance

Don’t buy if the out-of-pocket cost for the coverage would be more than you can afford. Policies differ greatly so know what you are buying. Shop around.

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January 24, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Map by Jim Irwin (Creative Commons License)

The public option lives

The much celebrated, and much maligned, public option may have died in Congress, but it’s alive and well in California.

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January 13, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Want to quit smoking? Your health plan may want to help.

Want to quit smoking? Your health plan may want to help.

Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.

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January 3, 2012 | 0 Comments More
Tools help you choose a good nursing home

Tools help you choose a good nursing home

Finding a high-quality nursing home is a daunting task. Fortunately, there is information online that can help you learn about nursing home quality.

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December 6, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Politics forces leadership change at Medicare and Medicaid Services

Politics forces leadership change at Medicare and Medicaid Services

Republicans blocked confirmation of President Obama’s appointee Dr. Donald M. Berwick. The current political climate on Capitol Hill may mean that Tavenner is just as likely to see her nomination stall

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November 25, 2011 | 1 Comment More
Health on the Web: This week’s top picks

Health on the Web: This week’s top picks

Will pot save healthcare reform? Shortage of key drugs threatens patients’ lives. What’s behind the attack on Planned Parenthood?

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November 20, 2011 | 0 Comments More
CDC microbiologist - Photo: James Gathany

Public health, medical research face deep cuts if super committee deadlocks

Federal funding for medical research, disease prevention and a host of public health initiatives could be sharply reduced if the congressional super committee fails to agree on a deficit-reduction package, triggering automatic cuts.

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October 18, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Webwatch: The best online reads

Webwatch: The best online reads

What’s a person, exactly? Could Herman Cain get health insurance today? A new approach to caring for the elderly?

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October 16, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Medicaid cuts would hit blacks and Latinos hardest — study

Medicaid cuts would hit blacks and Latinos hardest — study

In black and Latino communities, more than one in four people rely on Medicaid, compared with fewer than one in eight whites.

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October 13, 2011 | 0 Comments More
Medicare Open Enrollment begins Saturday

Medicare Open Enrollment begins Saturday

Enrollment period expanded to seven weeks to give seniors and people with disabilities will have more time to compare plans.

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October 12, 2011 | 0 Comments More