Older Americans Report articles from February 2006

Older Americans Report archives from February 2006

Supreme assistance.(Slants & Trends)(Medicare Part D program)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... SUPREME ASSISTANCE. California and at least four other states are planning to take legal action to avoid paying more than their fair share of the costs caused by the problematic Medicare Part D program, the Los Angeles Times reports. State...

House approves budget plan aimed at lowering entitlement spending.(Slants & Trends)
February 3, 2006... Older Americans with Medicaid coverage can expect to see higher co-payments and deductibles for their services due to certain cost-sharing provisions in the Deficit Reduction Act (S. 1932), narrowly approved by the House Feb. 1 in a 216 to 214...

FDA approves insulin inhalant treatment for diabetes.
February 3, 2006... For those living with diabetes, syringes and needles are part of a daily regimen to control the disease. With the introduction of the first ever inhaled insulin treatment, however, patients can soon say goodbye to injections. The U.S. Food and...

Census Bureau will measure informal caregiving in households.(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Caregiving activities provided to individuals with long-term illnesses or disabilities have been added to the list of areas the U.S. Census Bureau will examine in its Survey of Income and Program Participation, according to published reports....

HHS study: Medicare Part D problems abound.
February 3, 2006... Over the past thirty days, since implementation of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit program automatically enrolled hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of Medicare and/or Medicaid beneficiaries in specific Prescription Drug...

Scientists discover genetic mutation in Parkinson's patients.
February 3, 2006... Parkinson's disease among Ashkenazi Jews and North African Arabs may be linked to a gene mutation, according to two new related studies in the Jan. 26 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. Study co-authors Susan Bressman at the Beth...

CBPP survey: budget package jeopardizes Medicaid coverage.
February 3, 2006... A new identification mandate in the budget reconciliation package approved by the House Feb. 1 in a 216-214 vote could jeopardize health care services for older Americans and other Medicaid recipients who do not posses valid documents to verify...

$100m to help states/locals ramp up emergency preparedness efforts.
February 3, 2006... In conjunction with a larger, national plan to minimize the impact of an influenza pandemic in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services recently announced $100 million in funding for state and local governments to ramp up...

The American Health Care Association.(Briefly Noted)
February 3, 2006... The American Health Care Association is wary of provisions that would cause them to face a new burden if the penalty phase for the improper transfer of assets by Medicaid applicants is altered. AHCA said changing the process, as described in...

The National Adult Day Services Association.(Briefly Noted)
February 3, 2006... The National Adult Day Services Association has partnered with nine state associations to organize 100 special events to educated people about the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The group received a grant from National Association of Area...

Civic Ventures accepting nominations for Purpose Prize.(Briefly Noted)
February 3, 2006... Civic Ventures Accepting Nominations for Purpose Prize. Five $100,000 awards are up for grabs for individuals 60 years of age and older whose creativity, talent and experience transforms the way the nation address critical social problems....

Iowa uses loan fund to promote development of assisted living.(Housing)
February 3, 2006... Facing a pressing need for affordable assisted living and service-rich senior housing, Iowa has created an innovative loan fund to fill financing gaps and make it easier for housing developers considering these projects. The Senior Living...

Feds fund new grant projects for service coordinators.
February 3, 2006... In a move cheered by advocates, the federal government is providing more than $15 million to bolster senior housing through the use of onsite service coordinators to help residents. The funding originally set for release in fiscal 2005 will...

House clears budget bill with some LIHEAP aid.
February 3, 2006... A deficit reduction bill that finally cleared Congress this week has a sliver of good news for those seeking to expand energy aid for seniors. The Deficit Reduction Act approved by the House Feb. 1 has $1 billion in new budget authority...

FDA: notice.(Federal Register)
February 3, 2006... FDA: Notice. The Food and Drug Administration's Anti-Infective Drugs Advisory Committee is holding a meeting March 6 to discuss a new drug application for the proposed indication of the treatment of Shaphylococcus aureus bacteremia, including...

Department of Agriculture: notice.(Federal Register)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... Department of Agriculture: Notice. A surplus of commodities from the Department of Agriculture is available to states for the use in providing assistance to the needy under the Emergency Food Assistance Program. Participating states must, at...

Legal Services Corporation: final rule.(Federal Register)
February 3, 2006... Legal Services Corporation: Final Rule. LSC publishes a final rule that updates specific income levels to reflect annual amendments to the Federal Poverty Guidelines issued by HHS. The revised figures for 2006 are equivalent to 125 percent of...

FDA. Proposed rule.(Federal Register)
February 3, 2006... FDA. Proposed Rule. The Food and Drug Administration is proposing a rule to allow certain registered blood establishments qualified as health care entities to distribute drug products derived from blood (blood derivatives). If finalized, the...

CDC: revised statement.(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(Brief Article)
February 3, 2006... CDC: Revised statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to amend its Statement of Organization Functions and Delegations Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to reflect the creation of the Division for...

Talking about health.(Calendar)
February 3, 2006... TALKING ABOUT HEALTH. AcademyHealth and Health Affairs are sponsoring a conference in Washington, Feb. 6-7. Speakers include Mark McClellan, CMS; Cheryl Matheis, AARP; and Beatrice Disman, SSA. Contact: AcademyHealth, (202) 292-6700,...

Making adjustments.(Aging, Disability and Independence)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
February 3, 2006... MAKING ADJUSTMENTS. Helping older Americans maintain a certain level of independence through the application of advanced assistive technology is one several areas being explored at the International Conference on Aging, Disability and...

Aging advocates blast president's budget proposal for FY07.
February 10, 2006... Aging industry advocates expressed disappointment with President Bush's FY07 budget request, which calls for substantial funding reductions and the elimination of key programs needed to provide services for seniors. Proposed budget cuts...

Federal lawsuit challenges Mississippi Medicaid program's prescription cap.
February 10, 2006... Mississippi's cap on the number of medications Medicaid recipients can get per month is being challenged in court. The National Senior Citizens Law Center, AARP and other Medicaid advocates say limiting access to medications violates the...

Financial provisions could dim $3.5B increase for VA budget, group says.
February 10, 2006... The Department of Veteran's Affairs would receive $80.6 billion in FY07 under the President's budget request with most of the funding targeted for health care and disability compensation. This number represents an increase of $8.8 billion or...

FY07 budget request for elderly programs.
February 10, 2006... FY07 Budget Request for Elderly Programs (budget authority in thousands) FY05 Actual ADMINISTRATION ON AGING 1,391,000 Alzheimer's disease demonstration ...

FY07 budget on target to accelerate core aging services, programs: AoA.
February 10, 2006... President Bush's budget for FY07 may result in fewer dollars for federally funded services and programs for seniors, but that should not impact core services at the Administration on Aging, according to the agency. "This budget is designed...

Bush FY07 budget seeks cut in HUD senior housing fund.(Housing)
February 10, 2006... Senior housing programs would face major cutbacks under a White House-proposed 2007 budget that scales back federal investments in major areas of affordable housing. The Department of Housing and Urban Development budget plan would cut...

Administration again plans cuts for popular CDBG program.(Community Development Block Grant)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... A year after Congress saved the program from termination, the Community Development Block Grant is again the target of budget cutters in the nation's capital. The Bush administration is proposing a $1 billion--or 27 percent--cut in funding...

Energy aid would increase under FY07 proposal.(Housing)
February 10, 2006... Energy assistance for seniors and other low-income Americans would increase under President Bush's budget plan for 2007. Funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program would increase by $621 million, to $2.8 billion next year. An...

Kentucky, New York bolster LIHEAP.(Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program )(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... Add two more governors to the list of those signing bills to increase home energy aid to low-income seniors and others this winter. Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R) has signed a bill providing the low-income residents with $10 million in...

FDA: notice.(Food and Drug Administration)(vitro diagnostic devices standards)(Brief Article)
February 10, 2006... FDA: Notice. The Food and Drug Administration is announcing the availability of guidance for in vitro diagnostic devices, used for the laboratory diagnosis of hepatitis A virus to comply with certain requirements of special controls for class...

CDC: revised statement.(Federal Register)
February 10, 2006... CDC: Revised statement. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to amend its Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to change the title of the its Division...

HUD: final rule.(Federal Register)
February 10, 2006... HUD: Final rule. The Department of Housing and Urban Development plans to streamline consolidation plan regulations of state and local governments to ensure their plans produce more meaningful results to communities in assessing their own...

President signs deficit reduction act.
February 10, 2006... President Signs Deficit Reduction Act. Finalizing legislation that opens the door for higher drug co-payment and deductible levels for Medicare and/or Medicaid beneficiaries, President Bush signed the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 Feb. 9, less...

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.(Briefly Noted)
February 10, 2006... Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Investigators from a wide range of disciplines including medicine, nursing, health and social policy, law and psychology can obtain a $275,000 grant for proposals that address the most challenging policy issues...

Parkinson's disease.(Briefly Noted)
February 10, 2006... Parkinson's Disease. The Parkinson's Action Network's 12th annual research, education and public policy forum is set for Feb. 19-21 in Washington, D.C. The meeting will cover regulatory issues affecting Parkinson's, discuss advanced advocacy...