Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Mississippi Administrators, Licensees Owe No Duty To Nursing Facility Residents. JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi Supreme Court on Oct. 26 found that a nursing home administrator and facility licensee do not owe a duty of care or a fiduciary duty to nursing home residents, saying such a requirement would be duplicative of the duties already owed by the nursing home business owner or proprietor (Guy J. Howard, et al. v. The Estate of Earline B. Harper, by and through Talmadge L. Harper, administrator of the Estate of Earline B. Harper, et al., No. 2005-IA-00115-SCT, and Guy J. Howard, et al. v. The Estate of Melvin Thead, by and through Sandra Patton, adminstratrix of the Estate of Melvin Thead, et al., No. 2005-IA-00117-SCT, Miss. Sup.; 2006 Miss. LEXIS 626). Full story on lexis.com [LexisNexis® Mealey's™ Nursing Home Liability Legal News] 6:12:00 AM    comment [] Fat in Fish May Help Prevent Dementia. Eating fish three times a week may cut your odds of getting dementia almost in half. [WebMD Health Headlines] 6:10:56 AM    comment [] [Trends] The 'Graying' Of Group Health Insurance. We examine differential declines in private insurance by income and age. We show that older, higher-income people in working families are more likely to retain private coverage as premiums rise, and we project these effects on future coverage rates. The analysis suggests that trends are leading to the "graying" of the employment-based health insurance system, where older, higher-income people get private health insurance, and others increasingly have public coverage or go without. These changes raise questions about the private health care system’s ability to pool health risks. Population aging could interact with rising premiums and place additional pressure on an already strained employment-based health insurance system. [Health Affairs recent issues] 6:09:40 AM    comment [] November 27 - December 3 Is National Influenza Vaccination Week ... Time To Get Your Flu Vaccination!. "National Influenza Vaccination Week is a reminder that the flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and your family against the flu. Influenza is a serious disease. Every year about 36,000 Americans die from this illness, and about 200,000 people are hospitalized. The best way to commemorate this week is to get yourself and your loved ones vaccinated against the flu. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 6:09:13 AM    comment []

Monday, November 13, 2006

New Information About Accelerated Aging Among People With Rheumatoid Arthritis. The observation that people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) die at a younger age than people without this disease is not new, but arthritis experts don't fully understand the causes of the increased mortality rates. Laboratory scientists have observed that RA and other diseases can cause multiple systems within the body to age more rapidly than expected. [click link for full article] [Arthritis News From Medical News Today] 6:09:21 AM    comment []

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Problems With Billing For Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Premiums Persist. About 50,000 of the 4.7 million Medicare beneficiaries who opted to have their Medicare prescription drug benefit premiums automatically withdrawn from their Social Security checks still are having incorrect amounts deducted, CMS officials said, USA Today reports (Appleby, USA Today, 11/8). [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 7:21:43 AM    comment []

Friday, November 10, 2006

Partial Victory in Powerchair Fight November 10, 2006 – The power wheelchair industry, and many advocate groups that joined them, seem to be headed for a significant victory over the rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that was to make a substantial cut in the payments for these devices on November 15. 2:09:07 PM    comment []

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Long-Term Care Insurers Seek To Make Policies More Attractive To Consumers. The long-term care insurance industry has "been trying to mend its image" as policyholders in recent years "got burned after some insurers that had underpriced their policies suddenly jacked up premiums by 60% or more in some cases," the Wall Street Journal reports. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 7:23:30 AM    comment [] Americans Expecting Family And Friends, Not Savings Or Insurance, To Provide For Their Long-Term Care Needs. Mom's tender loving care may be a comforting thought when you're sick for a few days, but would your mindset change if you needed help for several years instead? Apparently not, according to a new survey by the Life and Health Insurance Foundation for Education (LIFE). [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 7:22:59 AM    comment []

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Democrats Say If They Win Majority In Congress They Will Work To Change Law Banning Federal Government From Negotiating Discounts For Medicare Prescr.. The Medicare prescription drug benefit has provided a large "financial windfall" for pharmaceutical companies, but "those gains may come back to haunt" them in the event that Democrats take control of Congress after the midterm elections, the New York Times reports. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 7:53:57 AM    comment []

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Local Governments Begin Establishing Trust Funds For Unfunded Retiree Health Care Liability As Accounting Rules Deadline Approaches. Some local governments are placing money in trusts to prepare for a federal rule that will require disclosure of retiree health benefit obligations in governmental budgets beginning July 2007, according to a recent survey by Mercer Health & Benefits, the Washington Times reports (Lopes, Washington Times, 11/2). [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 6:37:42 AM    comment [] Independent Resources From Consumer Group Provide Answers To Questions About The Medicare Drug Benefit, USA. The Medicare Rights Center is making its interactive online tools available to help older adults and people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and professionals make decisions about the new Medicare drug benefit, including how to select a plan that best meets one's needs and how to apply for "Extra Help" to pay for it. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 6:36:20 AM    comment []

Monday, November 06, 2006

10 "Quick Fixes" For Elder Home Safety. Falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in adults over the age of 65, according to the American Occupational Therapy Association. Fengyi Kuo, assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Indianapolis, says the remedy to this problem at home is safety awareness and implementation of prevention practices. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 6:31:02 AM    comment [] Long Term Care Community Praises Senator Gordon Smith For His Leadership, Vision For Long Term Care In America. The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), the nation's largest long term health care association, alongside the Oregon Health Care Association (OHCA), today recognized Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) for his legislative advocacy on behalf of the millions of the nation's frail, elderly, and disabled, and the men and women who care for them each day. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 6:29:25 AM    comment [] CMS Announces Payment Changes For Medicare Home Health Services And Certain Durable Medical Equipment, USA. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced a 3.3 percent market basket increase for Medicare payment rates for home health services for calendar year 2007. The home health prospective payment system (HH PPS) annual update will bring an estimated additional $410 million in wage adjusted payments to home health agencies next year. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 6:27:42 AM    comment [] Average Monthly Premiums Will Increase By 87% In 2007 For Medicare Prescription Drug Plans Providing 'Meaningful Coverage' In Doughnut Hole, Familie. Average monthly premiums in 2007 for Medicare prescription drug plans that offer "meaningful" coverage during the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap will increase by 87.4% to $103.20, compared with $55.08 in 2006, according to a report released Wednesday by Families USA, CQ HealthBeat reports. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 6:24:40 AM    comment [] Fuel Cell Wheelchair from Japan Suzuki's Fuel Cell Wheelchair A fuel-cell-powered wheelchair prototype named the MIO generates it own electricity, reducing odds of being stranded 6:14:58 AM    comment []

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Improving Quality Of End-Of-Life Care. Researchers have evaluated improvements in the end-of-life care in intensive care units (ICU) and have shared their findings in a special supplement to Critical Care Medicine, the journal of the Society of Critical Care Medicine. The supplement is dedicated entirely to end-of-life care in the critical care setting. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 7:16:59 AM    comment [] More Sensitive Tool For Detecting Dementia. A screening tool for dementia developed by Saint Louis University geriatricians appears to work better in identifying mild cognitive problems in the elderly than the commonly used Mini Mental Status Examination, according to a new study.Physicians routinely administer the Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) to patients who they believe may have Alzheimer's disease. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 7:16:31 AM    comment []

Friday, November 03, 2006

Economists Predict That Medicare Cuts Will Trigger An Exodus Of Wheelchair Providers And Sharply Reduce Patient Access, USA. The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) today released a detailed economic study concluding that cuts to the Medicare power mobility benefit scheduled to take effect on November 15 will have a devastating impact on both the industry and beneficiaries who need wheelchairs. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 5:55:40 AM    comment []

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Cognitive Decline Is Often Undetected Study Shows. Many patients over the age of 65 who are hospitalized with an acute illness experience a subtle change in their cognitive ability that often goes undiagnosed, untreated and underreported. As a result, a patient's ability to make decisions about his or her medical treatment may be negatively impacted.These findings by Sharon Inouye, M.D., M.P.H. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 10:05:31 AM    comment [] AARP Attorneys Represent Nursing Home Residents AARP Attorneys Represent Nursing Home Residents Who Seek Community Based Care   Attorneys with AARP Foundation Litigation are once again representing residents of the Laguna Honda nursing facility, the largest residential care facility in the United States, as they seek to enforce their civil rights. 9:53:56 AM    comment []

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Interpretation Services Would Cost Connecticut Medicaid $4.7M Annually, Report Finds. Reimbursing providers through the Connecticut Medicaid program for interpreting services for patients would cost about $4.7 million annually, half of which could be paid by the state and half of which could be financed through federal matching funds, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Connecticut Health Foundation, the Hartford Courant reports. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 10:54:22 AM    comment [] Mistakes In Nursing Homes Often Not Brought To Light, USA. The issue of nursing home quality is getting more attention as baby boomers age. It is estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau that 35 percent of the total population will be older than 65 by 2020. A recent study by a University of Missouri-Columbia nursing researcher found that a shift in attitude is needed to improve the quality of care in nursing homes.According to the study, preventable errors in the healthcare system are the eighth most common cause of death. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 10:53:57 AM    comment [] How To Prevent Bedsores From Becoming Deadly. It's a good thing we toss and turn in bed. That movement continually redistributes the pressure between our bodies and the mattress. If illness or injury prevents you from moving around, pressure builds up on specific areas of the body. This can cause skin and other tissues to die, creating a bedsore. A few simple steps, however, can help prevent these painful, dangerous, and costly sores, reports the November 2006 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. [click link for full article] [Caregivers / Homecare News From Medical News Today] 10:53:43 AM    comment [] Care Improvement Plus Launches Texas' First Health Plan For Chronically Ill Medicare Beneficiaries. More than half a million Medicare beneficiaries in Texas are eligible to join Care Improvement Plus, Texas' first health plan to focus exclusively on chronically ill Medicare beneficiaries and their unique healthcare needs. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 10:53:04 AM    comment []

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Washington, D.C., Hospital House Call Program Provides Care For Elderly Residents. A program developed by the geriatric department of Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., hopes to reduce health care costs by providing house calls to elderly residents, the Washington Times reports. The hospital's Medical House Calls Program, which began in 1999, assists about 150 to 170 patients weekly. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 6:04:54 AM    comment []

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Washington State Pilot Project Encourages Medicaid Beneficiaries To Enroll In Employer-Sponsored Health Care Plans. A Washington state pilot project that reimburses Medicaid beneficiaries' premium costs if they participate in their employer-sponsored health plans could enroll 5,000 residents and reduce state costs by $3 million annually within two years, Medicaid officials project, the Seattle Times reports. [click link for full article] [Medicare / Medicaid / Tricare News From Medical News Today] 9:12:04 AM    comment [] Cola Is Associated With Bone Mineral Density Loss So May Up Osteoporosis Risk For Older Women. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 55 percent of Americans, mostly women, are at risk of developing osteoporosis, a disease of porous and brittle bones that causes higher susceptibility to bone fractures. [click link for full article] [Seniors / Aging News From Medical News Today] 9:11:29 AM    comment [] Basic thoughts on health insurance from economists. David Cutler and Richard Zeckhauser review “The anatomy of health insurance” in chapter 11 of the Handbook of Health Economics. The chapter provides an overview of the economics field’s insight regarding health insurance. The authors summarize the literature’s findings into 5 main lessons listed below: Risk spreading versus incentives: Health insurance involves a fundamental tradeoff between risk spreading and appropriate incentives. Increasing the generosity of insurance spreads risk more broadly but also leads to increased losses because individuals chose more care (moral hazard) and providers supply more care (principal-agent problems). Integration of Insurance and provision: Medical care is unlike other insurance markets in that insurers are often involved in the provision of the good in addition to insuring its cost. The integration of insurance and provision, intended to align incentives has increased over time. Managed care, where the functions are united, is an extreme version. Under it, doctors have dual loyalties, to the insurer as well as the patient. Competition and consumer identity: When consumer identity affects costs, competition is a mixed blessing. Allowing individuals to choose among competing health insurance plans can allocate people to appropriate plans and provide incentives for efficient provision. But it can also bing with it adverse selection–the tendency of the sick to prefer the most generous plans. Adverse selection induces people to enroll in less generous plans so they can be in a healthier pool, and gives plans incentives to distort their offerings to be less generous with care for the sick. Information and long-term insurance: More information about individual risk levels allows for more efficient pricing of risk, but portends a welfare loss from incomplete insurance contracts. Health insurance and health: The primary purpose of health insurance and delivery is to improve health. Unfortunately, conclusive results are not in on which insurance and provision arrangements do this most effectively. [Healthcare Economist] 9:10:48 AM    comment [] Federal Agencies Collected $1.47B In Fraud From Government Health Insurance Programs In FY 2005, Report Indicates. The Department of Justice and the HHS Office of Inspector General in a report issued this week announced that their joint Health Care Fraud and Abuse Control Program -- which attempts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in federal health care programs -- will collect $1.47 billion from criminal or civil cases brought during fiscal year 2005, The Hill reports. [click link for full article] [Health News from Medical News Today] 9:09:46 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Norman G. DeLisle, Jr.. Last update: 12/18/2006; 8:35:43 AM.