Older people have lower rates of depression than younger groups. But depression often goes undiagnosed in the elderly, who feel the stigma of mental illness more acutely than younger people and are often less likely to seek help. Medicare began to cover annual depression screening in primary-care settings.
Will it cover your needs? Can you pay for it? Can you afford not to have it?
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 . . .
Enrollment period expanded to seven weeks to give seniors and people with disabilities will have more time to compare plans.
Health insurers are in a race for a decisive competitive advantage: winning the highest mark on Medicare’s quality exam, a one-to-five star rating system.
Dire predictions that health reform would cause private Medicare health plans to raise prices and lower benefits have turned out to be a false alarm — for now. Medicare Advantage premiums now expected to drop 4% next year.
Long-term care services for the elderly and disabled in Washington state are second only to those provided in Minnesota, according to a new report.
Are older patients being over tested? There is little evidence the elderly benefit from colon, breast and prostate cancer screening — and considerable risk.
As you listen to pols argue about how deeply to cut Medicaid think about Natalie — an 85-year-old widow with heart disease and memory problems. Or Lisa — a 50-year old mother of two who has been battling multiple sclerosis since she was 20.
More than one-third of adults over age 65 fall each year, and one-third of older adults who fall suffer moderate to serious injuries, including hip fractures and head trauma.
You can’t prevent all age-related changes to your eyes. But you can take steps to protect your vision and reduce your risk for serious eye disease in the future.
PACE, Program for All-Inclusive Care for Elderly, provides comprehensive medical and social services to frail, low-income seniors with serious health problems.
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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Lost in translation: Lack of trained interpreters can lead to medical errors
Interpreter services at hospitals and other medical settings are often inadequate, forcing family members, including children, to step in, or the task falls to medical staff members who may not speak the language well.
Some insurers deny ER coverage to people who have been drinking
Laws in more than half the states permit insurers to deny payment for medical services related to alcohol or drug use. Faced with the prospect of not getting paid for care, some ER personnel sidestep the problem by simply not testing patients’ blood or urine for alcohol.
Travel insurance can protect your wallet — and your health on vacation
Think your regular health insurance policy will cover you if you get into medical trouble overseas?
Don’t bet on it.
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