CAREGIVERS USA NEWS

Vol. I, No. 12
January 27, 2003

BUSH TIES DRUG BENEFIT TO MANAGED CARE
Responding to seniors' demands for a Medicare drug benefit, President Bush tomorrow night is expected to propose a plan that would confer a drug benefit on those who enroll in a managed care version of Medicare offered by a private insurer. Bush and other Republicans thinks partial privatization and competition will drive down costs but the plan is likely to meet virulent opposition in Congress and from most organizations representing the aged.
http://atsh.org/news/bush_rx.html

NCOA LAUNCHES ONLINE DRUG DISCOUNT LOCATOR
The National Council on the Aging has announced a new service that helps seniors find discount programs on major pharmaceutical products. BenefitsCheckUpRx is a free confidential screening tool that provides seniors with a comprehensive and personalized listing of their eligibility for over 240 prescription drug savings programs covering nearly 800 medications. BenefitsCheckUpRx is a major expansion to NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp, a Web site that that has provided more than 820,000 eligibility reports for federal and state benefit programs to older Americans.
http://atsh.org/news/checkuprx.html

MORE DOCTORS LIMITING MEDICARE PRACTICE
The American Medical Association says a survey finds that 48% of physicians will begin to increase limits on the number of Medicare patients they treat. The drop in patients is a result of the impending 2003 physicians' payment cut, AMA said. Another 60% of physicians report that over the past year it has become more difficult to find suitable physicians or surgeons to whom they can refer their Medicare patients.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/1751-7208.html

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KAISER WILL PUBLISH TREATMENT GUIDELINES
Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit HMO, says it will publish on its Web site its internal "evidence-based" guidlines for the treatment of hundreds of diseases and conditions. The information will be available to the general public as well as to Kaiser patients and will make it easier for consumers to assess the care they are receiving.
http://atsh.org/news/kaiser_guides.html

KAISER PUBLISHES STATE-BY-STATE DISPUTE GUIDELINES
Kaiser Family Foundation and Consumers Union are publishing a state-by-state guide on resolving disputes with health care plans and employers. The guide was developed after a survey by Kaiser and Harvard University School of Public Health found that almost half (48%) of privately insured adults under age 65 had a problem with their health plan in the last year with a range of consequences from minor hassles to adverse effects on their health.
http://atsh.org/news/kaiser_healthplan.html

LIFE IN A NURSING HOME The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has published "Living in a Nursing Facility: Myths and Realities." The 9-page brochure aims to educate individuals about the move to a nursing facility and help them gain a comfort level with the future move. The guide is intended for facilities, doctor's offices, hospitals, offices on aging, or any other organization that works with families and the elderly.
http://www.ahca.org/brief/nr021204.htm

"WEALTHSPAN" ISSUES ADDRESSED
Widener University and the American Society on Aging are among those launching a continuing education program for financial planners. The program will produce "certified financial gerontologists" who will be schooled in "wealthspan" issues, an ASA press release said. The goal is to help clients determine "how to best finance longevity," the release said.
http://atsh.org/news/cfg.html

A DAY AT THE OPERA ... AND THE NEXT ACT
Joseph Cohen became a caregiver five years ago. As he and his wife, Sonia, left New York's Metropolitan Opera House, Sonia's right leg gave way, she experienced a brief spell of confusion and said her right arm was numb. In "Notes of a Stroke Survivor," the Cohens tell how they coped with the stroke and its aftermath. Their story contains tips both practical and abstract. Their story is the latest addition to our Profiles in Caregiving section. We welcome your contributions. Send them to info@caregivers-usa.org.
http://atsh.org/caregiv/strokes_01.html