Author Archives: Liz Seegert

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About Liz Seegert

Liz Seegert is an independent health journalist and AHCJ’s topic leader on aging. She covers older adults, baby boomers, health policy, and social determinants of health, as well as many other health issues. Her bylines include stories for PBS/NextAvenue.org. the American Journal of Nursing, TIME Health, Medscape, Consumer Reports, and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, the Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.

Medicare announces coverage of costly Alzheimer’s medication. That could mean high premiums for beneficiaries

In the Alzheimer’s affected brain, abnormal levels of the beta-amyloid protein clump together to form plaques (seen in brown) that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function. Abnormal collections of the tau protein accumulate and form tangles (seen in blue) within neurons, harming synaptic communication between nerve cells. Image by National Institute on Aging, NIH via Flickr. Public domain photo

On June 1, Medicare officials announced plans to cover new FDA-approved drugs that may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would also require patients using the drugs to register for the purpose of gathering information on treatment results.

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Study: High blood pressure in your 30s
may mean poorer brain health in your 70s

blood pressure

Photo by Thirdman via Pexels

Are hypertension and blood pressure changes in early adulthood associated with late-life brain health? According to a new study from UC Davis, the answer is yes, especially for men.

Many younger adults may pay little attention to issues like blood pressure, but it’s a good opportunity for journalists to remind their audience that heart health matters at every age. 

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Report shows many nursing home
violations not have been publicly reported

nursing home

Photo by Ulrich Joho via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

As many as 10,000 nursing homes may have deficiencies unreported or may have been inaccurately described by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to Care Compare, according to an April 2023 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

The report is based on a random sampling of 100 of the 15,377 nursing homes by OIG, which compared the deficiencies reported on Care Compare as of December 10, 2020, with the deficiencies documented by state inspectors from the three most recent annual health, fire safety and emergency preparedness inspections and the three most recent years of complaint inspections.

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HJ23 session: Putting a face on family caregiving

Julia Yarbough, a former local TV journalist in Chico, CA, addresses attendees during the “The biggest untold story in health care: 53 million family caregivers” session at HJ23.

Caregiving. It seems almost everyone has a story, whether they’re a millennial, baby boomer or older person caring for a parent, spouse or family member with disabilities. A new AARP report found that family caregivers provide a whopping $600 billion worth of uncompensated care across the U.S. annually more than the federal government spends on long term services and supports.

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Alzheimer’s panel at HJ23 will explore unanswered questions

Photo courtesy of the National Institute on Aging

If any headline could sum up the state of research into Alzheimer’s disease it may be this: “Study reveals that much still not known about cognitive decline.”

Despite decades of research, there’s so much scientists have yet to learn about this degenerative disease. Risk factors, causes, amyloid plaque, tau tangles, Lecanemab, biomarkers and more are topics of dozens of research studies underway.

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