In a survey conducted by The Commonwealth Fund, a majority of respondents said individuals and government should share the responsibility of paying for long-term care, and 80 percent favor adding a long-term care benefit to Medicare. (via PNN Online) The Commonwealth Fund also found that patient surveys provide reliable information about physician quality, citing a Massachusetts research study in which patients were asked about their doctors. Researchers found "highly reliable and stable … [Read more...] about 61 Percent Say Individuals and Government Should Finance Long-Term Health Care
The 2005 CPR Guidelines And Treating Hyperkalemia
The nephrologist at KidneyNotes takes issue with some of the 2005 CPR guidelines for treating hyperkalemia. The good doctor says: Given a lack of standardization, it's not surprising that different doctors treat hyperkalemia in different ways. The new 2005 CPR guidelines from the American Heart Association provide recommendations for the treatment of hyperkalemia. Unfortunately, while these new guidelines are easy to follow, there are many potential problems, and I offer some … [Read more...] about The 2005 CPR Guidelines And Treating Hyperkalemia
New York Nursing Home Under Fire
New York's Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is ready to crack down on substandard nursing homes. According to Spitzer, the Jennifer Matthew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center neglected patients and denied them medication. From an editorial in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Hidden cameras helped reveal, Spitzer claims, that residents were routinely left lying in waste while staff napped, that medication was denied and that help call bells were put out of reach of patients. Spitzer … [Read more...] about New York Nursing Home Under Fire
Medicare Goes to Court
Medicare's controversial new prescription drug program has been taken to court. A federal district judge has ruled that federal courts have no authority to order the continuation of existing drug benefits to people with Medicare who are losing Medicaid drug coverage. Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center and one of the plaintiffs in the case, said the health and safety of the nation's oldest, poorest and frailest Americans "rests squarely with the Bush Administration." … [Read more...] about Medicare Goes to Court
Medicare Therapy Cap
The American Physical Therapy Association has announced that Medicare therapy services will be subject to two caps. Physical therapy and speech language pathology will have a combined cap of $1,740 and a separate cap for occupational therapy, all effective on January 1, 2006. Just as Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, doctors, and certain long term care providers have complained about Medicare's reportedly confusing new prescription drug program, physical therapists have issues with the new … [Read more...] about Medicare Therapy Cap
Long Term Care At Home
As baby boomers age, costs for long term care will continue to grow, and states like Vermont are doing something about it. Vermont has instituted a program called Choice for Care, which allows all eligible recipients to choose long term care at home instead of a nursing home. Many elderly people probably prefer to remain at home and independent, and the program will allow them more flexibility to do so. The program sends 12 nurses across the state to assess the needs of Vermont's Medicaid … [Read more...] about Long Term Care At Home
‘People with Medicare are frustrated and bewildered…’
Robert M. Hayes, president of the Medicare Rights Center, a national consumer service organization, issued a statement related to Medicare's new prescription drug program. An excerpt: Less than five percent of people who could voluntarily choose a prescription drug plan have done so (see calculations below). People with Medicare are frustrated and bewildered about a program that is needlessly complex and unreliable. The reasons for these appalling enrollment numbers are self-evident. … [Read more...] about ‘People with Medicare are frustrated and bewildered…’
Drugs Excluded from Medicare Part D
The blogger over at Over! My! Med! Body! is a third year medical student. His blog is very informative about Health Care policies. He recently posted an article that will answer questions you may have about why some medications seem to be missing from the Medicare Drug Calculator. He obtained the following information from a Medicare patient advocate: In your tutorial, you mention that you have questions with the "Enter My Medications" section. First, the Federal legislation … [Read more...] about Drugs Excluded from Medicare Part D
‘It might as well be in Chinese.’
Medicare's new prescription drug plan is causing more headaches. Many beneficiaries don't understand it, and doctors say it's "unrealistic" for them to bear the burden of explaining it. From the Associated Press: Millions of senior citizens will become eligible for the benefit Jan. 1, but many don't know whether it will save them money, or which private insurance plan they should choose among the dozens that have bombarded their mailboxes with ads in recent months. Many don't know how … [Read more...] about ‘It might as well be in Chinese.’
New Pharmacy Claims System
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has announced that it has moved to a new pharmacy claims system, effective December 31, 2005. Information about why the system is changing doesn't appear on the site, but there are links to frequently asked questions, a pharmacy providers letter, and a quick reference guide for providers. … [Read more...] about New Pharmacy Claims System