Federal officials are extending the Dec. 7 deadline for three days for some people who have had trouble enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug or private health plan because of the crush of last-minute sign-ups. Calls to Medicare’s toll-free information line, 800-633-4227 can be made until midnight tonight. “It is critical that people with Medicare who want to make a change in their coverage act today.”
Five tips to help you navigate Medicare: 1) You must sign up for Medicare when you turn 65. 2) Medicare is not free. 3) Medicare does not cover everything . . .
Foster kids were more likely to be prescribed five or more psychotropic drugs at a time and at doses that exceed the maximum FDA-approved levels.
More than a quarter of Medicare’s rated prescription drug plans and, unless they take steps to improve, face expulsion from Medicare.
Medicare’s open enrollment season begins – and ends – earlier than ever this year. Seniors who want to switch to a different drug or Medicare Advantage plan need to act by December 7th.
Extra Help: Some Medicare beneficiaries could qualify for assistance with their prescription drug costs, and be eligible this year to pay no more than $2.50 for generic drugs and $6.30 for each brand name drug,
“Studies consistently show that up to half of patients do not take their medicines as prescribed.”
Consumers often find it easier to get time with a pharmacist than a doctor, so drug stores are offering more outreach programs about chronic health problems.
“Take two tablets by mouth twice daily” might seem straightforward. Yet in a study, nearly half of patients misunderstood what it or other common label instructions meant.
When you buy drugs over the Internet, how do you know what your getting? Well, you don’t if you buy from some sites. So how to tell if a site is legitimate? The FDA has some tips.
More than 2 million Medicare beneficiaries have failed to sign up for a program that could save them thousands of dollars a year in drug costs. The subsidy program, called Extra Help, can provide significant savings on the cost of Part D prescription drug coverage for low-income Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare recipients can save an average of $3,900 a year.
In the news: driving under the influence of prescription drugs; federal funds boost community health clinics; and Whatcom County “super rice” goes global
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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