On Aging

Text messages helped remind diabetes patients to check their blood sugar and report in.

Texting Helps Low-Income Diabetes Patients Manage Insulin Dosing

10:10am August 27, 2015

by Rina Shaikh-Lesko

Many low-income patients can't make multiple visits to the doctor, which is a problem if you're a diabetic trying to get insulin dosing just right. A text-based system made remote reports possible.

A screenshot of fire conditions on AirNow.gov, with orange icons showing fires and gray representing smoke.

Wildfire Smoke Becomes The Health Threat That Won't Go Away

2:44pm August 26, 2015

by Nancy Shute

Cities and towns across the West are warning residents that high levels of smoke from forest fires threaten their health, with no sign of abating. That means indoor recess and no vacuuming.

Jo Ann Farwell, a retired social worker, has a brain tumor; she wanted to make sure her sons were clear about her end-of-life wishes. So, after talking with her doctor, she filled out a form that Oregon provides to ease those family conversations.

Medicare Says Doctors Should Get Paid To Discuss End-Of-Life Issues

2:05pm August 19, 2015

After a six-year delay, Medicare proposes to reimburse doctors who hold end-of-life discussions with Medicare patients. The federal program is now soliciting public comments on the idea.

Queue Listen Now

Can playing the Project Evo game really improve the brain's ability to deal with distractions? Its manufacturer thinks so.

'Play This Video Game And Call Me In The Morning'

4:57pm August 18, 2015

by April Dembosky

Developers at Akili are working on a game they hope might one day be prescribed to treat mental health conditions like ADHD and depression. But first, they must get past the FDA.

Queue Listen Now

Whistleblower Says Medicare Advantage Plans Padded Charges In Home Visits

1:15pm August 12, 2015

by Fred Schulte

Medicare Advantage health plans are privately run, but reimbursed by Medicare. A Texas lawsuit claims that, to inflate charges, 30 Advantage plans in 15 states exaggerated how sick patients were.

Some video games are promoted as being good for the brain.

Will Doctors Soon Be Prescribing Video Games For Mental Health?

2:45pm August 10, 2015

by April Dembosky

Dozens of games and apps claim to improve your memory or make you smarter or reduce stress. But do they really? Developers say the next step is clinically valid proof of cognitive gains.

Queue Listen Now

A New York study found that getting medical students together with dementia patients and their families at museums to view, discuss and create art for 90 minutes made the students better communicators.

Sharing Art Helps Medical Students Connect With Dementia Patients

8:17pm August 05, 2015

by Ina Yang

It's easy to spot what Alzheimer's patients have lost — memory, communication skills and more. But a study that sent medical students and dementia patients to art classes opened new vistas for all.

Health & Safety

No Shame, No Euphemism: Suicide Isn't A Natural Cause Of Death

4:23pm August 03, 2015

by John Henning Schumann

A doctor's mother loved medicines and their potential for miracles, but she always sought to ditch them the moment she felt better. Her mental health problems eventually overwhelmed her.

A Yale University study analyzed the experience of 60 million Americans covered by traditional Medicare between 1999 and 2013, and found "jaw-dropping improvements in almost every area," the lead author says.

Happy 50th Birthday, Medicare. Your Patients Are Getting Healthier

8:49am July 30, 2015

by Richard Harris

The past 15 years have seen a drop in deaths and hospitalizations among Medicare patients — people 65 and older. Teasing out why is tricky, but it seems a good trend for the 50-year-old program.

Queue Listen Now

Hospitals can call people who stay overnight outpatients, a classification that can have surprising financial consequences.

Health & Safety

Progress For Bill To Bolster Medicare Patients' Hospital Rights

10:58am July 29, 2015

by Susan Jaffe

Even when some Medicare patients stay overnight in the hospital, they are are being classified as outpatients under something called observation status. It sounds innocuous but can trigger big bills.