Government Closed… Not Really
As you all know, the Washington, DC area is under siege with Snowmageddon 2010, and the federal government in the DC area is officially closed
Month: February 2010
Medicare – Ways to save money during your coverage gap
Consider Switching to Generics or Other Lower-Cost Drugs – You may wish to talk to your doctor about the drugs you are currently taking to find out if there are generic or less-expensive brand-name drugs that would work just as well as the ones you’re taking now.
Step 1 to Get Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
Because the way that Medicare drug coverage works depends on your current coverage, Medicare has specific information available to help you no matter what type of coverage you have.
Osteoporosis: The Silent Disease – Medicare Help and Information
Current estimates suggest that around 10 million people in the U.S. have osteoporosis, and 34 million more have low bone mass, which places them at increased risk.
VA – Health Care – Readjustment Counseling (Vet Centers)
Readjustment counseling is a wide range of services provided to combat veterans in the effort to make a satisfying transition from military to civilian life. Services include:
Medicare Tip – Older adults are especially vulnerable to hypothermia
Frigid weather can pose special risks to older adults. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, has some advice for helping older people avoid hypothermia — when the body gets too cold — during cold weather.
NIH-Funded Scientists Are Exploring The Different Ways Music Can Influence Our Bodies And Minds
Several well-controlled studies have found that listening to music can alleviate pain or reduce the need for pain medications. Other research suggests that music can benefit heart disease patients by reducing their blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. Music therapy has also been shown to lift the spirits of patients with depression. Making music yourself—either playing instruments or singing—can have therapeutic effects as well.
Medicare – NHLBI Funds Preclinical Tests on Devices for Infants and Children with Congenital Heart Defects
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded four contracts totaling $23.6 million to begin preclinical testing of devices to help children born with congenital heart defects or those who develop heart failure. The four-year program is called Pumps for Kids, Infants, and Neonates (PumpKIN).
Medicare – Occasional Forgetfulness
Chances are you’ve walked into a room and forgotten why you went there. And misplaced your keys or eyeglasses at least a few times. Many people worry about these memory lapses. They fear they’re heading toward a serious condition like Alzheimer’s disease, an irreversible brain illness.
Step 3 to Get Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
All of the plan options must meet or exceed Medicare’s standards for coverage, including coverage for medically necessary drugs.
Medicare – NIA Funds Centers to Study Demography of Aging
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health, today announced that it has committed more than $36.7 million over the next five years to support and expand its Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging. The Centers form a network of universities and organizations leading innovative studies on the characteristics of the aging population. The awards, which include some support from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, renewed support for 11 Centers and established three new ones.
Panel Calls for Reducing Colorectal Cancer Deaths by Striking Down Barriers to Screening
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Despite evidence and guidelines supporting the value of screening for this disease, rates of screening for colorectal cancer are consistently lower than those for other types of cancer, particularly breast and cervical.
The Most Common Form of Brain Cancer in Adults
The most common form of malignant brain cancer in adults, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), has 4 distinct molecular subtypes, according to a new study. The finding may lead to more personalized approaches to treating GBM patients.
Medicare – Lung Disease the Links to Health
People with a mild form of a common lung condition—even those without symptoms—are at increased risk for heart problems, according to a new study. This is the first report that mild, often-symptomless chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be linked to the heart’s pumping ability
Medicare – Health Benefits of Using Less Salt
Some countries have reduced their populations’ salt intake by using various strategies, such as regulating the salt content in processed foods, requiring labels on ready-to-eat foods and educating the public. Researchers led by Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo at the University of California, San Francisco, set out to explore the potential impact of a modest reduction in dietary salt on the health of the U.S. population.
Medicare – Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act
The Balanced Budget Act of 1997, as amended by the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act (OCESAA) of 1999, called for the development and implementation of a prospective payment system (PPS) for Medicare home health services. The BBA put in place the interim payment system (IPS) until the PPS could be implemented. Effective October 1, 2000, the home health PPS (HH PPS) replaced the IPS for all home health agencies (HHAs).
National Institutes of Health on National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day February 7, 2010
African-Americans continue to bear the largest and most disproportionate burden of HIV/AIDS of all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. While black men and women made up 13 percent of the U.S. population in 2007