Senior Citizens' Recent Headlines at SeniorJournal.com

Dec 14, 2011 - The managed care industry's growing role in Medicaid got a boost Monday when the Obama administration approved Texas' plan to shift one million additional recipients into private health plans by 2013. Read more...

Early detection can allow treatments to slow the disease progression, maybe save lives

Dec. 13, 2011 - People with Parkinson's disease swing their arms asymmetrically - one arm swings less than the other - when walking. This unusual movement is easily detected early when drugs and other interventions may help slow the disease, according to Penn State researchers. Read more...

Seniors without high school diploma significantly less likely to be screened for breast, cervical and prostate cancer, compared to those with college degree

Dec. 12, 2011 – Senior citizens always seem to be doing the wrong thing - tell us to get flu shots, we won't. Tell us to cut back testing, we get more. The latest complaint is that despite federal guidelines cautioning against routine screening of those age 75 and older for some of the most common cancers, a high percentage of seniors report they are still getting screened regularly. Read more...

Fund planned to help employers subsidize early retirees age 55-64 is out of money

Dec. 12, 2011 - A $5 billion fund that helped cover health insurance for more than five million early retirees will stop taking claims for expenses incurred after Dec. 31 because it is running out of money, according to a notice Friday in the Federal Register. Read more...

Improved blood sugar levels even though they did not lose weight during short two-week study - see video

Dec. 12, 2011 - Brief high intensity workouts - as little as six sessions over two weeks - rapidly lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics, offering a potential fix for patients who struggle to meet exercise guidelines, according to researchers at McMaster University in Canada. Read more...

Good news for seniors, middle-aged men who are physically active, but do not lose weight – less worry about BMI being a little high if physically fit

Dec. 10, 2011 - If you maintain or improve your fitness level - even if your body weight has not changed or increased - you can reduce your risk of death, according to research reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. This study was only of men but the researchers say it is likely to apply to women, too. Read more...

Engaged elderly may be more motivated to maintain their health, have better health information

Dec. 9, 2011 - Staying connected to other people through a wide variety of social activities can yield important health consequences as you age. That’s the message from a new study that found that older adults who maintain high levels of social activity or ramp up their social life as they age might be protected from increases in physical and cognitive issues over time. Read more...

‘Some think these tumors should be rebranded as something else, such as idle tumors’

Dec. 9, 2011 - A federally convened panel of experts says most men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer should be offered the chance to put off treatment in favor of medical monitoring of their condition. In fact, the panel went so far as to say doctors should stop calling most of these low-risk tumors cancer at all. Read more...

Anastrozole with fulvestrant better than single drug for hormone-sensitive breast cancer

Dec. 9, 2011 - Post-menopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer may have a new treatment option that could lengthen their lives by months, according to results of a study by the SWOG clinical trials network that were presented this week at the 2011 CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Read more...

Dec. 8, 2011 - Many men with localized, low-risk prostate cancer should be closely monitored, permitting treatment to be delayed until warranted by disease progression, according to an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health. Read more...

Only for seniors who contact any of several sources of assistance before close of business Wednesday and leave messages

Dec. 7, 2011 - Federal officials are extending the Dec. 7 deadline for three days for some people who have had trouble enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug or private health plan because of the crush of last-minute sign-ups. Read more...

Women do better after realizing it is stress that makes them take an extra helping of holiday goodies

Dec. 7, 2011 - Women who experienced the greatest reduction in stress tended to have the most loss of deep belly fat in a recent study. To a greater degree than fat that lies just under the skin, this deep abdominal fat is associated with an elevated risk for developing heart disease or diabetes. The researchers say this finding – stress makes you reach for another helping - offers hope for those who dread gaining weight during the holiday season. Read more...

Study should be 'generally reassuring' to most men with unfavorable-risk prostate cancer considering ADT, because it was associated with improved survival

Dec. 7, 2011 - Although previous research has indicated that the use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to treat men with unfavorable-risk, nonmetastatic prostate cancer may increase the risk of dying from cardiovascular causes, a new study failed to find the link. It did find, however, lower risk of prostate cancer-specific death and all-cause death with ADT. Read more...

Senior citizens nearing danger zone of cognitive problems should eat fish weekly

Dec. 6, 2011 - You can reduce your risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by eating fish that is baked or broiled every week, according to a study presented last week at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting. Read more...

Health care law will allow consumer groups, others to compare options, find best value

Dec. 5, 2011 – Medicare has lifted the lid on tons of information gathered from the health care providers that take care of about 47 million senior citizens and disabled. It is now available to consumer groups, employers and other qualified organizations to be used to help them make better choices and recommendations about health care providers. Read more...

Dec. 5, 2011 – The cost of treating Medicaid patients with depression increased substantially over a 10-year period, but it resulted in just a minimal improvement in the quality of their care, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. Read more...

‘This outcome could lead to new preoperative treatment standards in cardiac medicine’

Dec. 5, 2011 – Taking aspirin within five days of cardiac surgery seems to be responsible for a significant decrease in the risk of major postoperative complications, including renal failure, a lengthy intensive care unit stay and even early death, according to a study by researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and UC Davis Medical Center to appear in the journal Annals of Surgery. Read more...

Older Driver Safety Awareness Week is Dec. 5-9, AAA emphasizes the importance of communication to help keep senior drivers safe and mobile - AARP Webinar Today

Dec. 5, 2011 – Senior citizens – people age 65 or older – are now the largest and fastest growing age group in the U.S. This growth has been accelerated by the baby boomers beginning to flood into the ranks of the elderly and the American Automobile Association sees a “silver tsunami” washing down the streets and highways during Older Driver Safety Awareness Week, which begins today. Read more...

December 7 last day to change, add health care, drug plans in Medicare for 2012; more gains in MAs expected

Click to Medicare Page to help find Medicare plans

Dec. 4, 2011 - Despite predictions that last year’s health law would doom Medicare’s private insurance plans, it’s not happening – at least not yet. Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans continues to grow at a brisk pace, rising to 8.4 million beneficiaries by April 2011, about a 6 percent increase from April 2010, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Read more...

In Don Berwick era CMS implemented large number of complex, sometimes controversial, rules implementing health reform law; Tavenner takes his job, gets GOP support

Dr. Donald Berwick, Administratior, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Dec. 4, 2011 – Last Friday was Donald Berwick's last day as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Berwick, a 65-year-old senior citizen, a pediatrician, Harvard professor and well-known quality improvement expert, has served since July 2010. Read more...

40% of seniors cared for by home health agency are taking a prescription that is potentially unsafe or ineffective; Affordable Care Act offers hope

Dec. 2, 2011 – Senior citizens receiving home health care may be in danger of taking a drug that is unsafe or ineffective for older people, says a new study that found nearly 40 percent of seniors receiving medical care from a home health agency are taking at least one prescription medication that is considered potentially inappropriate for their age. Read more...

Basement case suspects held 4 mentally disabled captives while taking their SSA benefits

Dec. 2, 2011 - A bill introduced in the Senate this week will close loopholes in the Social Security system that allowed suspects in the Philadelphia basement case to bilk their captives of their Social Security benefits and avoid police for years. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) says his bill... Read more...

2010 census brief finds men gaining on women, 53,364 centenarians, 1.3 million in nursing homes, South had most elderly, Northeast had largest percentage

Dec. 1, 2011 – Senior citizens – that includes people 65 and older – are now at the top of the heap in U.S. Census numbers. The senior age group is now, for the first time, the largest in terms of size and percent of the population in the U.S. This age group grew at a faster rate than the total population between 2000 and 2010, according to a 2010 Census brief released yesterday. Read more...

Experiment with mice also confirms amyloid beta is the cause; seeking methods to slow AD progression

Nov. 30, 2011 - One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell – can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease, according to a new study. It also confirms that the protein amyloid beta causes this loss. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Sea Snails Play Key Role in Strategy to Improve Memory Damaged by Aging

This snail has contributed to the understanding of learning and memory

Dec. 27, 2011 – Neuroscientists at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston are encouraged from test using sea snails that their innovative learning strategy to help improve the brain’s memory may someday help people who suffer impairments from aging, stroke, traumatic brain injury or congenital cognitive impairments. Read more...

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Aging News & Information

Elderly Think as Fast as Young in Some Brain Tasks, Finds New Study

‘Many people think that it is just natural for older people’s brains to slow down as they age, but we’re finding that isn’t always true’

Dec. 27, 2011 - Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. New research, however, suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. Read more...

Medicare News

Hospitals Look to Post-Discharge Clinics to Help Hold Down Readmissions

Medicare may penalize hospitals with higher than expected 30-day readmission rates for pneumonia, heart failure, heart attack - see video

By Michelle Andrews, Insuring Your Health

See video on Revolving Door of Readmissions

Dec. 20, 2011 - For patients, the transition from hospital to home is a critical time. Discharged with follow-up instructions and often a fistful of medications, many need medical guidance. But too often a smooth handoff to a primary-care physician doesn't happen, and small recovery glitches become larger ones. The result: In short order the patient is often back in the hospital. Read more, see video...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Diuretic for Hypertension Significantly Extends Life Expectancy 20 Years Later for Seniors

Chlorthalidone (brand name, Thalitone) helps senior citizens avoid cardiovascular death for years

Dec. 20, 2011 – A new study shows that treating senior citizen systolic hypertension patients with a diuretic has a long-lasting benefit that 20 years later appears to significantly prolong life free from cardiovascular death for these patients – adding one day for every month of treatment. Read more...

Medicare News

Seniors with Chronic Conditions to Get Most Medicare Services at Home

Medicare testing if expanding services will improve care, lower costs for seniors and other disabled

Dec. 20, 2011 - Up to 10,000 Medicare patients with chronic conditions will now be able to get most of the care they need at home under a new demonstration announced today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Cancer Survivors Face Increased Risk of Melanoma; Melanoma Survivors Even More

Melanoma the most aggressive, dangerous skin cancer, fifth most common cancer among men, seventh among women

Scar after removal of melanoma from top of senior citizens head

Dec. 19, 2011 – New research brings bad news for cancer survivors and, in particular, melanoma skin cancer survivors, who are most often senior men. A report in the Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, finds all cancer survivors have an increased risk of melanoma and this risk his greatest for those who have already been diagnosed with melanoma. Read more...

Features for Senior Citizens

Holiday Senior Slackers Can Save Too: Last-Minute Shopping Tips

Check these shopping tips to stay within budget even when the clock is ticking

By Andrea Woroch

Dec. 19, 2011 - With just a few days remaining until the holidays, shoppers with gifts left on their list feel the pressure to spend. But even if you've waited until the eleventh hour to pick up those last few presents, you don't have to buy the first thing you see or pay an absurd amount of money. Read more...

Opining of a Cranky Old Man

Some Columns You Won’t See This Columnist Write in the Senior Journal

Fallout from making comments often results in confrontations - time this writer not willing to concede

By Bill Kalmar, Retiree

Bill Kalmar as he might picture himself! Dec. 19, 2011 - As a frequent columnist for “The Senior Journal” and several other publications I have learned that there are certain topics that are out of bounds. These are topics that elicit heated debate, irate e-mails and phone calls and the occasional cancelling of a newspaper or magazine subscription. Read more...

Medicare News

Medicare Enrollment is Still Open to Switch to 5-Star Medicare Advantage Plan

Medicare has new Special Enrollment Period for joining 5-star plans all year long

Dec. 15, 2011 – Just because Medicare kept us well informed about the Open Enrollment Period that ended Dec. 7 with an unrelenting flow of promotion, you may think enrollment is closed. It may even puzzle you that you are still seeing advertising from Medicare Advantage plans. Guess what? You can still switch plans, as long as it is to a 5-star plan. Read more...

Health & Medicine for Senior Citizens

Statin Study Finds Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Save Lives of Flu Patients

Patients not receiving statins were almost twice as likely to die from influenza

Dec. 16, 2011 - Statins, traditionally known as cholesterol-lowering drugs, may reduce deaths among patients hospitalized with influenza, according to a new study released online by the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

Wyden-Ryan Plan Could Neutralize Medicare in 2012 Election: Analysis

Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., unveiled new Medicare plan, would give seniors a fixed amount of money to buy private insurance or pay for traditional Medicare - plus video from GOP debate on Gingrich position

By Marilyn Werber Serafini, KHN Staff Writer

Dec. 16, 2011 - Even with just two congressional supporters, a new Medicare overhaul plan could have big implications for next year’s congressional election. Indeed, it could neutralize a political problem that has been plaguing Republicans since April, argues Robert Blendon, a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard School of Public Health. Read more, see video...

Senior Citizen Politics

Rep. Ryan Joins with Democratic Senator Wayden to Take Another Shot at Medicare Reform

Senior advocates say it is still a voucher system and only winners would be private insurance companies

Dec. 15, 2011 – Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), who proposed converting Medicare to a system where senior citizens were given vouchers to buy health care protection, has joined with an Oregon Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden, to propose a new idea for changing the government health care program. Senior advocates don’t seem to like the new plan better than Ryan’s first. Read more...

Alzheimer's, Dementia & Mental Health

Alzheimer’s Drug from Salk Institute May be First to Prevent AD Progression

Drug known as J147 is first to enhance memory and protect brain from devastating cognitive decline due to loss of synaptic connection - see video report

Dec. 15, 2011 - A new drug candidate may be the first capable of halting the devastating mental decline of Alzheimer's disease, based on the findings of a study by scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies published in PLoS ONE. Read more...

Senior Citizen Politics

CMS to Make Drug-Makers Disclose Dealings with Physicians: Senators Prompt Action

Senators Kohl, Grassley force action by agency on their bill which also includes other medical device-makers and teaching hospitals

Dec. 15, 2011 – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services yesterday issued a rule that will make public the often questionable financial relationships between drug and device manufacturers and certain health care providers. The action caused Sen. Herb Kohl, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, to postpone a hearing scheduled today aimed at getting this long-delayed Physician Payments Sunshine Act implemented. Read more...

Social Security News

Social Security Suspends Online Services for a Day of Maintenance

System maintenance begins Saturday night, ends Monday morning

Dec. 15, 2011 – Online services provided by the Social Security Administration, including such services as applying for benefits online, will not be available from 11 p.m. Saturday until 5 a.m. Monday. The temporary shutdown is due to regular system maintenance. Read more...

Medicare News

Feds Recover $2.9 Billion from Health Care Fraud; Cracking Down on Pain Drugs

Medicare drug plans to withhold payment when they see suspicious activity related to OxyContin, Percocet, other narcotics, painkillers

Dec. 14, 2011 - The Department of Justice recovered over $5.6 billion in total fraud in 2011, up 167 percent since 2008, and more than half of this - $2.9 billion – was health care fraud, according to an announcement yesterday by Vice President Joe Biden to a Cabinet meeting focused on the Administration’s effort to cut waste and eliminate misspent dollars. Read more...

Medicaid News

Administration Ties Medicaid Private Care to Performance; More Control to States

Latest signal Feds will give broad leeway to states to expand Medicaid to private managed care if they meet performance measures