On Aging

Many people with marketplace health plans purchased under the Affordable Care Act didn't realize they need to switch to Medicare Part B plans at age 65.

Feds To Waive Penalties For Some Who Signed Up Late For Medicare

5:30am June 06, 2017

by Susan Jaffe

People who mistakenly stayed on marketplace health plans after they qualified for Medicare may be eligible to have Medicare penalties reduced or waived, if they apply for the waiver by Sept. 30.

Although illness struck the Borowicks' home twice, they managed to find strength and courage through humor.

Our Last Year Together: What My Camera Captured As My Parents Died Of Cancer

5:00am June 04, 2017

by Nancy Borowick

Photographer Nancy Borowick captured her parents' deep love and joy in life, even as they endured treatment in their 50s for the cancers they knew would soon kill them.

Leon Watts (left) with Lee and Suzanne Chase.

Health & Safety

Meet A Home Contractor Who Helps Older People Age In Place

5:05pm May 31, 2017

by Ina Jaffe

Leon Watts of Los Angeles has seen his clients' needs change as they've aged. He decided he could do even more for them if he got a master's degree in gerontology.

Queue Listen Now

Vincent Galvan first went to a nursing home in 2012 after his right leg was amputated. He was evicted after complaining about his care.

As Nursing Homes Evict Patients, States Question Motives

4:47pm May 26, 2017

by Ina Jaffe

According to the federal government, the top complaint about nursing homes is wrongful eviction. Advocates say nursing homes want residents who pay more but require less care.

Queue Listen Now

As baby boomers age, more older Americans are visiting the emergency room, which can be an overcrowded, disorienting and even traumatic place.

Can Comfort Care At The ER Help Older People Live Longer And Suffer Less?

4:57am May 26, 2017

by Melissa Bailey

Many older patients have problems that an emergency room is ill-equipped to handle, but often there is nowhere else to go. So some hospitals are adding palliative care consultants to the front lines.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (from left), with Vice President Pence and and Rep. Peter Roskam, R-Ill., on Capitol Hill, noted that the CBO analysis confirms that the House GOP health care bill will cut the deficit.

Patient, Doctor Groups Say New CBO Score Reveals Health Care Bill's Flaws

6:53pm May 25, 2017

by Alison Kodjak

The latest analysis by the Congressional Budget Office says the bill would lead to 23 million fewer people having insurance coverage and would cut the federal deficit by $119 billion over 10 years.

Budget Director Mick Mulvaney holds up a copy of President Trump's proposed fiscal 2018 federal budget at the White House on Tuesday.

Medical Research, Health Care Face Deep Cuts In Trump Budget

4:31pm May 23, 2017

The administration's proposed budget would cut billions out of health programs at the NIH, CDC and FDA, as well as Medicaid services for children, the elderly and disabled.

The majority of health aid to poor countries targets children under five.

Ethics Of Aid: Should Donated Health Dollars Go To 'Children First'?

1:56pm May 17, 2017

by Malaka Gharib

That's how health aid is now allocated in the developing world. Should more money go to old people with chronic diseases? Our audience shares their views.

There are many reasons someone could end up having a lapse in health insurance. They might need to move closer to a caregiver or treatment center, for example, and consequently have to quit their job — and lose their insurance.

GOP Health Bill Penalizes Patients Who Let Insurance Lapse

5:30am May 16, 2017

by Michelle Andrews

In some states, a break in health coverage of more than 63 days would let insurers charge premiums of any price for a year — putting health insurance out of reach for many sick people, analysts say.

The Global Gap In Health Care Dollars For Young And Old Is Huge

3:31pm May 09, 2017

by Susan Brink

The U.S. has one kind of gap. The developing world has another, as a new report points out.