FROM THE SPECIAL SECTIONS DEPARTMENT
What's This?
Medicare 2018: Preparing for 80 Million Seniors by 2030
"Medicare 2018: Preparing for 80 Million Seniors by 2030" is a Special Report prepared by The Washington Times Special Sections Department.
Recent Stories
Fighting to improve Medicare and patient care by reducing 'red tape'
One of the clearest ways Congress can directly improve the lives of Americans is by streamlining our healthcare system to maximize patient outcomes, using the newest and most innovative medical practices that provide exemplary patient care in the most cost-effective manner, saving both lives and taxpayer dollars.
The future of Medicare -- dental, vision and hearing coverage
As we look to the future of Medicare, many seniors are rightly worried about the direction that the Trump administration and congressional Republicans want to take the program.
Listen to seniors: Hearing aids vital to health
With all of the debate and discussion about health care policy this year, it is important that we take a step back and remember that sometimes the easiest and most impactful improvements we can make to our health care system are sitting right in front of us.
Medicare Advantage is solution to health care policy crisis
Today, over 40 million individuals rely on Medicare, and that number is projected to double in the next decade. Given that it is the federal government that is the largest payor, it is also a significant discussion for federal policymakers.
'Change is coming' in American healthcare
For instance, one of the most common causes of hospitalization for seniors in America is a hip fracture, and hip fractures are extraordinarily painful. In many cases, treating them with opioid painkillers is appropriate and necessary. But discharging patients from a post-acute care facility while on an opioid regimen can be risky.
New hope for seniors: Medicare-covered opioid treatment programs
We are all familiar with the devastating effects the opioid epidemic is having on our country — tens of thousands of lives lost each year, untold burdens on our health care system and billions of dollars in lost economic potential.
Protecting Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage is grounded in the principle that not everyone who uses Medicare services is going to have the same health care needs.
SonoSpine: An optimal choice for a Medicare pilot program
The review had revealed the amazing story of SonoSpine's founder and ultrasonic technology, but I had never imagined the surgery would be this effective.
'Patients must be at the center' of cost, quality decisions
Patients must be at the center of cost and quality decisions, empowered with the information they need to make the best choices for themselves and their families.
Medicare should 'pay it forward' on clinical trials
"Innovation," particularly in health, is a policy buzzword these days. Former House Speaker, Newt Gingrich, penned an opinion piece over the weekend that called on Republicans to include health care innovation as the third pillar in their political platform to spur medical breakthroughs.
Technology, innovation key to Medicare solvency
Second to Social Security, Medicare is the largest social program in the United States, with more than 58 million beneficiaries.
Seniors deserve the 'gold standard' of care for opioid addiction
Our seniors deserve the highest quality care for opioid dependency, but currently, Medicare does not provide the comprehensive care they need.
Addressing the opioid crisis: More information for seniors and their doctors
Nearly one in three seniors enrolled in the Medicare Part D program was prescribed an opioid during 2016.
Medicare and mental health
2018 marks the 53rd anniversary of the Medicare program. While Congress and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs Medicare, continue to refine the program, the basic structure of the program has remained in place since 1965.
HHS IG: Medicare drug spending rose despite fewer prescriptions
Medicare recipients used fewer brand-name drugs but the program still saw its drug costs rise, according to a federal report Monday that says skyrocketing prices set by manufacturers are taking a toll on taxpayers and seniors.
Social Security now running a deficit; insolvency set at 2034
Social Security will spend more than it collects this year, the program's trustees said Tuesday, marking the first time in more than 35 years that it will run an annual deficit as it slides toward insolvency by 2034.
Healthy aging linked to Medicare coverage of 'social factors'
Taking a bath, doing the dishes, fixing breakfast, shopping for groceries, making the bed, folding the laundry -- these are just some of the tasks that many of us take for granted. But, as we age, these seemingly mundane yet essential responsibilities can become cumbersome and, for some, impossible.
Accountable Health Communities model launches in South Jersey with a new advisory board
Last year, the Camden Coalition was selected as one of 32 organizations in the country to implement the Accountable Health Communities (AHC) model, which screens Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries for a range of health-related social needs and provides them with health and social service navigation.
Growth in Medicare Advantage driven by bipartisan support and innovation
It is expected that more and more older adults and those eligible for Medicare will review their health care options and choose Medicare Advantage during the 2019 Medicare Open Enrollment Period.
