Public Policy

New Medicare Cards are Coming Soon

By

by Seema Verma, CMS Administrator. This post originally appeared on the CMS blog.
To read this article in Spanish, click here.


When you get your new Medicare card in the mail, keep it safe! Guard your card to prevent fraud.

As you may have heard, or perhaps you’ve seen a recent TV commercial, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will soon be issuing every Medicare beneficiary a new Medicare Card, without Social Security Numbers, to prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and keep taxpayer dollars safe, and to help ensure that we always put the needs of patients first.

It’s unfortunate that criminals are increasingly targeting people age 65 or.... Read More

             

Stop the Inhumane Prison Transfer of Manuel Syphanh Khiobouakham

By

by Phat McGlothlin. This post originally appeared on the Asian Prisoner Support Committee.

Stop the inhumane prison transfer of my son.

My name is Phat McGlothlin. I am the mother of Manuel Syphanh Khiobouakham, who is currently serving a 7-year state prison sentence.

About two months ago, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) transferred my son from Vacaville, California to Eloy, Arizona — ripping apart my family’s connection to my son.

I was born in a refugee camp in Thailand during the aftermath of the American War in Vietnam and the Secret War in Laos. During the Secret War, Laos was bombed more heavily than any other country in history: nearly one ton of bombs were.... Read More

             

Older Adults & the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace: What’s at Stake for 2018

By

by Natalie Kean. This post originally appeared on the Justice in Aging blog.

Among its many achievements, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made great strides in covering more older adults who previously had no access to health care. Before the ACA, many low-income older adults who did not have employer-based coverage had no affordable coverage options to address their growing health care needs prior to becoming eligible for Medicare. Insurance companies were allowed to effectively price lower-income older adults out of the individual market or deny them coverage altogether based on pre-existing conditions. These insurance practices posed.... Read More

             

Are South Asians more at risk for heart disease? Yes, and now there’s a new bill in Congress to address that!

By

This post originally appeared on the India Home blog.

Last year, Narendra Butala, a long time member of India Home, was facing a health crisis. He had been feeling breathless for a while. His blood pressure would drop suddenly and he would sweat profusely.

Still, he was afraid to go to the cardiologist because his brother had got a pacemaker in 2004 and had passed away shortly after. Even as he worried about the condition of his heart, he heard from one of his relatives. Pacemaker technology had changed, she said, and urged him to get a check-up. Finally, in July, a few months after his 78th birthday, Butala, took the plunge and went to Mount Sinai Hospital in.... Read More

             

Aggressive Deportation Policies Tear Family Caregivers Away From the Elders Who Depend on Them

By

Aggressive deportation policies, like those that have been enacted since Trump’s inauguration, tear families apart — including elders and the family caregivers they depend upon. Since 1980, the share of households headed by an immigrant has doubled (from 7% to 14% in 2012). In 2009, 16% of households headed by an immigrant were multi-generational, compared with 10% of households with a U.S.-born head. Many immigrant and refugee elders depend on their grown children for support for daily tasks, emotional support, or even fulltime caretaking. In Cambodian refugee communities, nearly two-thirds of older adults have been found to suffer from PTSD, and nearly all of those who survived.... Read More

             

Statement of the #CaringMajority

By

People across our country are enjoying longer lives. In fact, 10,000 people are turning 65 every day. This is great news for all of us, as we have longer to enjoy the intergenerational relationships that make our families stronger. However, it provides a challenge for our caregiving infrastructure.

These demographic shifts are putting an increased demand on our families, our finances, and on our care system in ways we didn’t anticipate. With some forethought, investment and planning, we can prepare for them. Instead of preparing for the future, though, we’re facing unprecedented attacks on the care we already have. Republicans in Congress are trying to take us back decades right when we need to provide more care, not less.

In.... Read More

             

NAPCA tells Congress about the needs of older Americans in the workforce!

By

In response to the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging’s Request for Information, the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA) delivered comments on the opportunities and challenges facing older adults in the workforce and provided recommendations for policymakers to help older workers.

Almost 20 percent of people over the age of 65 are currently in the workforce, and that number is expected to grow by 74% over the next two decades, making mature workers the largest source of talent in the United States. This changing demographic creates opportunities for employers because older adults who are retired or unemployed have relevant skills to offer and are interested in re-entering the workforce. They tend to be dependable,.... Read More

             

SAGE Condemns the Trump Administration’s Ban on Transgender People in the Military

By

This post originally appeared on the SAGE website.

SAGE, the nation’s largest and oldest organization serving lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender elders, will not stand by quietly as the Trump administration continues its attempts to erase the transgender community – this time from the ranks of the U.S. military, in which they have served for generations.

A recent study found that 20 percent of transgender people have served in the military, which is double the percentage of the general population. President Trump’s outrageous statement that they can.... Read More

             

Healthy Aging Starts with a Healthy Mouth, and Health Equity Starts with Us

By

Last week, the Diverse Elders Coalition traveled to Alexandria, VA for the Oral Health America Medicare Symposium. Advocates, policymakers, and providers convened for this Symposium to discuss how to get a dental benefit included in Medicare. A recent study found that 52% of older adults are unaware that Medicare doesn’t cover routine dental care – maybe you didn’t know that, either!

Given how important oral health is to overall health – if you can’t chew or swallow food, or if you are living with chronic pain from infection or gum disease, your overall health is certainly impacted! – it is shocking that once an elder turns 65, they are their own for.... Read More

             
Page 1 of 1412345...10...Last »