Recent News/Info on the Net

This site is associated with the Ron’s Info Collections. This subdomain contains a collection of articles pertaining to the Senior Years, and links to information and news on other sites. The collection includes articles written for seniors, as well as for for family members and caregivers. The categories are listed in the right column.

Recent News and Info on Other Sites

AARP News

Albany Is Taking New Budget Proposal Seriously - 11 Mar 2010 23:5
ALBANY — State lawmakers reacted with cautious interest on Wednesday to a broad proposal from Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch to tackle New York’s staggering long-term budget deficit, but suggested that it would most likely require changes to win legislative approval. Mr. Ravitch spent much of the day presenting his plan — which would require far stricter accounting standards from state government, sharp cuts in spending and quarterly certification by an independent board that the budget is balanced — to Democrats and Republicans in the Assembly and Senate.

David J. Loglisci Pleads Guilty in New York Pension Scandal - 11 Mar 2010 23:5
ALBANY — The former chief investment officer for the state’s pension fund pleaded guilty to securities fraud on Wednesday, saying he helped steer pension money to political contributors to former State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi and to companies that paid kickbacks to Mr. Hevesi’s top political consultant, Hank Morris.

Panel Urges New Look at Caesarean Guidelines - 11 Mar 2010 23:5
A panel of medical experts on Wednesday recommended steps to reverse a trend that has dismayed many pregnant women: the increasing difficulty of finding doctors and hospitals that will let a woman try to give birth normally if she has had a Caesarean section in the past. The new recommendations came at a conference held in Bethesda, Md. , by the National Institutes of Health to examine why the rate of vaginal birth after Caesarean, or VBAC (pronounced VEE-back), has plummeted, to less than 10 percent from 28.

Obama Gets Tough on Health Care Fraud - 11 Mar 2010 23:5
ST. CHARLES, Mo. — President Obama continued his drive for a health care overhaul on Wednesday, ordering a crackdown on Medicare and Medicaid waste and fraud, while in Washington, House leaders said they hoped to have a completed bill to present to rank and file members Thursday morning. As he left a meeting with Congressional leaders Wednesday evening in the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the White House chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said, “Lots of progress.

Summa to expand ER services throughout region - 11 Mar 2010 1:34
Summa Health System announced plans today to expand three of its hospital emergency departments and build two full-service, stand-alone emergency rooms in the region. The new free-standing, 24-hour emergency departments will be constructed in Green, where the health system already has a Summa Health Center outpatient facility, and in Medina and Montville townships, where the Summa Health Center at Lake Medina campus is under construction. Both are expected to open next year.

Pomeroy named chairman of Social Security subcommittee - 11 Mar 2010 1:34
Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N. D. , has been named chairman of a congressional committee for the first time in his nine terms on the U. S. House of Representatives, his spokesman announced Tuesday night.

Leaders give good and bad in city address - 11 Mar 2010 0:54
Editors note: The following is a corrected version of a story that appeared in Wednesday's Daily News. A correction also will run in Thursday's print edition of the Daily News. Pullman is operating under a budget similar to an NFL quarterback's salary, but Mayor Glenn Johnson said the city is pulling through.

Wong trial delayed for lawyer's surgery - 10 Mar 2010 23:5
The capital murder case against Edwardo Wong II, charged with first-degree murder and a string of serious felonies in the shooting death of N. C. State Trooper Shawn Blanton nearly two years ago, has been postponed for a second time. During a hearing Monday, three weeks before the case was set to go to trial, Superior Court Judge Nathaniel Poovey moved the trial to Aug.

Obama trumpets audit plan in health care tour stop - 10 Mar 2010 23:5
President Barack Obama brought his health care road show to the St. Louis area Wednesday, announcing a crackdown on waste and fraud in hopes of convincing a gridlocked Congress to pass sweeping health insurance reform. After delivering a speech in St.

Star Tribune, Minneapolis, John Ewoldt column - 10 Mar 2010 23:5
Websites help disabled or unemployed people One of the best examples of community spirit is when people share their wisdom because of their own personal struggles. Peggy Byrne of St. Paul started a website (www.

NSCLC: Improving the Lives of America’s Elderly Poor

Medicaid Payment for Assisted Living: Current State Practices, and Recommendations for Improvement
This issue brief examines many of the most important issues in Medicaid payment for assisted living, and makes recommendations for policy changes at the federal and state levels. Among other things, the issue brief recommends that Medicaid-certified facilities be required to accept Medicaid from Medicaid-eligible residents, and not be allowed to demand or solicit “supplemental payments” from residents’ family members or friends. The federal government at a minimum should require that Medicaid-certified facilities not discriminate against Medicaid-eligible residents.

Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization
AoA-Convened Listening Forums (San Francisco). NSCLC attorney Eric Carlson was on the "Elder Rights and Elder Justice" panel at the San Francisco AoA sponsored listening session. The following paper "AoA Funded Legal Services Protect Income, Housing and Health Care for Vulnerable Older Americans" outlines NSCLC's position.

Consumer Handout: Did Social Security Stop Your Benefits Because You Had an Arrest Warrant?
This consumer handout explains the Social Security Administration's plan to repay more than $500 million in benefits that were unlawfully withheld.

To be or not to be Homebound: The Limits of States’ Discretion in Medicaid’s Coverage for Home Health Services
This issue brief provides an overview of the boundaries of a state’s home health service standard, including a discussion of the controversy in Missouri, in order to provide useful background for advocates trying to maximize the community-based options of persons with chronic needs.

Improving Access to Health Care for Older Adults
NSCLC is launching a new campaign to use strategic litigation and administrative policy advocacy to protect low income older adults’ access to affordable health care. The campaign is supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies.

Mandatory Health Insurance: Is It Constitutional?
An issue brief by Simon Lazarus for the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy.

Congress Pushes Back as Supreme Court Oversteps
NSCLC’s Simon Lazarus published in Roll Call for November 17 this article on the Supreme Court conservative bloc’s increasingly aggressive penchant for undermining progressive statutes and marginalizing Congress, and Congress’ efforts to push back.

NSCLC Endorses the House Healthcare Bill
NSCLC strongly supports H.R. 3962, Affordable Health Care for America Act.

The Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports Provisions in the Senate’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Senate’s health reform bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590, contains several provisions that would expand Medicaid’s coverage for home and community-based services. Specifically, the Senate proposes to: create a new community-based option for individuals otherwise eligible for Medicaid institutional coverage; enhance the home and community-based (HCBS) state plan benefit; mandate, at least temporarily, spousal impoverishment protections for spouses of all individuals receiving HCBS waiver or state plan services; extend authorization of the Money Follows the Person program through 2016; and authorize additional funding for Aging and Disability Resource Centers.

NSCLC Statement for Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Supremen Court Decisions Limiting Court Access
NSCLC submitted this written statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee, in connection with a December 2 hearing, “Has the Supreme Court Limited Americans’ Access to Court?” The hearing targeted the Supreme Court’s decisions in Bell Atlantic v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007), and Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 129 S. Ct. 1937 (2009). These decisions replaced the rule that complaints in federal court may not be dismissed unless the plaintiff could prove “no set of facts” that would support relief (set forth in Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957)), with a requirement that factual allegations in a complaint must be “plausible” to survive a motion to dismiss. Committee Chair Leahy gave a very strong statement of opposition to the decisions, as did the three other Democrats who attended – Senators Whitehouse, Specter, and Franken. Senator Specter had introduced a bill to overturn the decisions last July, S. 1504, the Notice Pleading Restoration Act of 2009. Leahy’s statement and the statements of the three witnesses can be accessed here. A House bill to overturn the decisions, HR 4115, was introduced by Representatives Conyer and Nadler last month

Health News From Pueblo

FDA Warns Consumers in Puerto Rico of Harmful Bacteria in Hand Sanitizers - 9 Mar 2010 20:00
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers in Puerto Rico that two hand sanitizers Bee-Shield Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera (10 fl. oz. or 1 gallon bottles) and MD Quality Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera (10 fl oz. bottles) contain high levels of a bacteria, Burkholderia cepacia, that can cause serious infections in humans. The hand sanitizers are distributed only in Puerto Rico. Although no adverse effects with these products have been reported to the FDA, the agency is recommending that consumers not use them and throw them away. Read more...

Guard Your Health Insurance Card - 19 Feb 2010 18:3
You may want to make sure you know where your health insurance card is. According to a new study, 7 percent of identity fraud victims this year reported identity thieves stole their health insurance information, up from just 3 percent last year. Such health insurance identity theft occurs when someone impersonates someone else at a hospital or doctor’s office using a stolen health insurance card or account number or even just personal information learn they are victims of such fraud when they get a medical bill or a notice about what will be covered from their health insurance company. The rise of this relatively new area of identity fraud is mainly because of two factors : medical providers’ putting more records in more easily accessible electronic form, and the large numbers of people unable to get health care coverage. Read more...

Frugal Ways to Stay Healthy - 17 Feb 2010 19:2

Medical costs are a big issue on everyone’s mind these days with the ongoing debate about health care. February is National Wise Health Care Consumer Month, a time to raise awareness about how you spend money on your health.

Check out these tips from the Federal Citizen Information Center for easy ways you can trim the cost of medicine, fitness and more:

Switch to generic. Because of legal restrictions, a generic drug might not look exactly the same as the brand name choice, but it contains the same active ingredients and is just as effective. Brand name drugs cost more than their generic counterparts because the makers of the original, brand name versions had to pay for the research, development and marketing of the medications. Learn more from the Generic Drugs publication from the Food and Drug Administration.

Watch out for scams. They keep coming back in different forms on TV and the internet but one thing stays the same: health scams charge you lots of money for “miracle” cures. And the diet pills and enhancement products they push could be dangerous or have harmful interactions with your other medicines. Save your money for tried-and-true methods or doctor prescribed medicines. Read about common ploys in Health Scams from the Food and Drug Administration.

Reconsider the gym. Gym memberships can be costly, and if you aren’t using your membership regularly, it could be one place where you could save some money. If you’re worried about how you’ll fit your exercise in without the gym, Be Active Your Way from the Department of Health and Human Services suggests several alternate forms of exercise that you can fit into your everyday life.

In tough economic times, we’re all looking to pinch pennies wherever we can. Try out some of these simple suggestions from the Federal Citizen Information Center to help you save money and stay healthy.

There are two ways to get copies of these publications:

1. Read or download them online:

2. Order printed copies of Health Scams, Be Active Your Way and Generic Drugs (subject to availability) by:

  • Visiting www.pueblo.gsa.gov to place your order online
  • Calling toll-free 1 (888) 8 PUEBLO. That’s 1 (888) 878-3256, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST and asking for Item 576V, Health Scams, Item 116V, Be Active Your Way or Item 555V, Generic Drugs.

Too Few Adults Get Recommended Vaccinations - 16 Feb 2010 19:2
Most parents make sure their children get all their vaccinations, but when it comes to adults these protective shots often fall by the wayside, a new report shows. Read more...

Eat For a Healthy Heart - 4 Jan 2010 19:04
Making healthy food choices is one of many lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk for getting heart disease—the No. 1 killer in the United States. The Nutrition Facts found on most foods and health claims allowed on some foods can help you choose wisely. Read more...

Nipro Medical Corporation Issues a Voluntary Recall of All GlucoPro Insulin Syringes - 29 Jan 2010 19:4
Nipro Medical Corporation, Miami FL, is initiating a nationwide recall of all GlucoPro Insulin Syringes (This does not include the GlucoPro syringe specific for use with the Amigo Insulin pump). These syringes may have needles that detach from the syringe. If the needle becomes detached from the syringe during use, it can become stuck in the insulin vial, push back into the syringe, or remain in the skin after injection. Consumers who have GlucoPro Insulin Syringes should stop using and return them to point of sale for reimbursement. No injuries have been reported to date. Read more...

FDA Warns Consumers About Counterfeit Alli - 21 Jan 2010 19:4
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about a counterfeit and potentially harmful version of Alli 60 mg capsules (120 count refill kit). Consumers began reporting suspected counterfeit Alli to GSK in early December 2009. GSK has determined that the counterfeit product has been sold over the internet. However, there is no evidence at this time that the counterfeit Alli product has been sold through other channels, such as retail stores. The counterfeit Alli product looks similar to the authentic product, with a few notable differences. Read more...

Heluva Good Recalls Cold Pack Cheese Products Because of Possible Health Risk - 14 Jan 2010 12:3
HP Hood is recalling select Heluva Good branded 8 oz. plastic cup containers of Cold Pack Cheese Food because they may contain Listeria monocytogenes. The recalled products were distributed in stores in the following states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with the product and codes listed below. Read more...

Chubby Checker and Social Security Commissioner Astrue Announce a New 'Twist' in the Law - 12 Jan 2010 18:4
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, and Chubby Checker, Grammy Award winner and rock and roll legend, today launched a new campaign to inform millions of Americans about a new "twist" in the law that makes it easier to qualify for extra help with Medicare prescription drug costs. The extra help program currently provides assistance to more than nine million senior and disabled Americans -- saving them an average of almost $4,000 a year on their Medicare prescription drug plan costs. "The changes in the Medicare law that take effect this month will allow hundreds of thousands of Americans who are struggling to pay their prescription drug costs to get extra help during these tough economic times," said Commissioner Astrue. Read more...

Frigid Temperatures Bring Health Risks - 8 Jan 2010 16:31
When the temperature drops, staying safe and warm and performing everyday activities can be challenging and dangerous. Young children, older adults, and the chronically ill are most at risk of having cold-related health problems. Read more...