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Takeaways In May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced what it called an “aggressive nationwide crackdown” on fraud in two corners of the health care system that serve millions of older Americans: Medicare hospice care and home health care. CMS imposed two separate six-month moratoria that stopped Medicare from accepting new hospice agencies and new home… Continue reading Medicare Hits Pause on New Hospice and Home Health Providers

Takeaways Family conflict over an aging parent rarely starts with a lawsuit. It usually develops through subtle changes, such as a phone call that goes unreturned, a sibling who suddenly handles all of Mom’s paperwork, or a will that gets changed without anyone else knowing why. By the time these changes result in a courtroom… Continue reading How to Avoid Family Conflict Over Aging Parents

Takeaways If you’ve logged into a MyChart account or a bank app recently, you’ve probably had to confirm your identity with a text message or an authentication app. That kind of extra security step, known as multi-factor authentication (MFA), has become routine for everyday accounts. But the federal rule that protects electronic health information doesn’t… Continue reading How AI Is Changing the Privacy of Your Health Records

Takeaways A dementia diagnosis can feel like a door closing. But for the millions of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as for their family members and friends, a growing movement in care is pushing back against that narrative. The message: a diagnosis does not define a life. Seeing the Whole Person… Continue reading Living Your Best Possible Life After a Dementia Diagnosis

Takeaways Millions of Americans qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. For these “dual eligibles,” managing two separate health care programs can be confusing. A Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) is a type of Medicare Advantage plan designed for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. D-SNPs were created to help make coverage easier by bringing Medicare… Continue reading Issues You Might Face With D-SNPs

Takeaways Assisted living is playing a growing role in dementia care. According to a recent report from AARP, more people 85 and older now reside in assisted living than in nursing homes. Of assisted living residents, 44 percent live with Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, and many communities are responding by adding or expanding memory care units.… Continue reading Choosing Assisted Living Memory Care for Dementia