Source: “Competition in Health Insurance: A Comprehensive Study of U.S. Markets,” American Medical Association, 2020.
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office hasn’t received wide coverage, so far but may become an important resource for journalists in the coming months if Democrats in the U.S. Congress seek to increase competition in health insurance markets nationwide. It also could be a useful resource if any state seeks to develop a public option. Continue reading
Photo: Brian Walker via Flickr
Strong evidence on dementia care interventions is lacking, and what exists does not reflect the experiences of diverse populations, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). Most existing community-based programs don’t offer clear proof they work to address the care and services needed by those with the disease or their caregivers, the report found.
Members of the ad hoc NASEM committee assessed the current body of evidence on care interventions for those living with dementia and their caregivers to help guide decision-making about which interventions should be broadly disseminated and implemented and to model for future actions and research. A systematic review found only two programs had any evidence of benefit, and those were only supported by low-strength evidence: Collaborative Care models, which integrate medical and psychosocial care, and Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health (REACH) II, an intervention aimed at supporting family caregivers. Continue reading
Photo: Governor Tom Wolf via Flickr
The heavy toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on older Americans highlights the need to strengthen the nation’s safety net for those requiring long-term services and supports, according to a new report in the Milbank Quarterly.
The report proposes a system of universal coverage to support long-term care for all older Americans. But we’ve been down this road before — trying for decades to create a viable, cohesive long-term care system. What makes anyone think things will be different this time around? Continue reading
Photo: ca_heckler via Flickr
In his landmark Oral Health in America report in 2000, then-Surgeon General David Satcher reminded the nation that oral health is essential to general health. Satcher hailed progress made in the scientific understanding of common oral maladies such as tooth decay.
But at the same time, Satcher warned of a “silent epidemic” of oral disease burdening millions of Americans, including poor children and seniors, minorities and those living with disabilities. Continue reading
I lucked out when I attended an American Society on Aging Conference in the late 1990s and met the person who has been (for lack of a better way of putting it) my aging mentor, Paul Kleyman. Back then, he was ASA’s publications guy: today he leads Ethnic Elders Newsbeat at New America Media.
As I niched myself into the geriverse – writing about diabetic retinopathy, what is and isn’t Alzheimer’s, end-of-life care, long-term care planning, senior fraud, family caregiving and more, I began to get a handle on how interconnected everything aging is.
And I realized that most people don’t know much about aging, including what “normal” aging is. Continue reading