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Health: United States 

Archives  2004


Reports               Articles 



Reports

What is the Truth About the Cost of Utilization of Medical Technology in Europe vs. the U.S.? (December 3, 2004)
The United States spends 15% of its GDP on healthcare, more than any other industrialized nation. Yet, its overall health outcomes are arguably not correspondingly better.
It is believed that much of America's additional expenditure comes from a greater use of new medical equipment and devices. At the same time, medical technologies have been shown to save money and improve healthcare outcomes. 
The Global Medical Forum Foundation's second U.S. Summit will address this challenge, and seek to answer questions in three reports including: What lessons can American policymakers, providers, and payers learn from the European experience with healthcare machines and devices? Have the European industrialized nations learned to be better purchasers and users of these new medical technologies?
The follow-up:
http://www.globalaging.org/health/us/2004/technology2.pdf
http://www.globalaging.org/health/us/2004/technology3.pdf

Coverage & Access: Women's Health Varies Across Country (September 2, 2004)
There are several "notable differences" in women's health across the United States revealing the need to improve in every state, according to a report released in August 2004 by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the study, researchers from the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women's Health and CDC ranked each state on 27 indicators including major causes of death, health risk factors, preventive care and health insurance coverage. Researchers organized the information by state "to help policymakers, program officials, researchers and others identify key issues of importance," according to a CDC release. The report also includes data on race and ethnicity. The report "highlights a growing awareness that gender plays a significant role in health and that women need special attention because of their biological differences from men."

Uninsured and Underserved: The Health Care Experiences of Latinos in the Nation's Capital (December 20, 2004)
A summary of Latino experiences and opinions regarding access to health care in the District of Columbia, this brief also contrasts the experiences of Latinos in the District of Columbia with those of Latinos nationally. 

"Medicaid Prescription Drug Reimbursement: Why the Government Pays Too Much" (December 7, 2004)
This report is a hearing transcript sponsored by the Committee on Energy and Commerce focuses on Medicaid's prescription drug reimbursement procedure. The panels are composed by health professionals, health, State employees, representatives of pharmaceutical firms and commercial firms. Find the answers to high drug costs in the USA.

Older Women’s League Mother’s Day Report 
Healthcare costs increased by double digits during the last few years. Quick fixes in the last decade simply slowed increases for several years. Once again women risk financial security as they age. Women are often at a loss in obtaining affordable adequate healthcare. OWL has advocated for change in the American healthcare system since its inception in 1980. Improvements have been limited and we find again ourselves experiencing a healthcare crisis.

Health Insurance Coverage in America: 2003 Data Update (December 2004)
”Almost 45 million Americans were uninsured in 2003…growing by 1.4 million from the previous year and a total of over 5 million since 2000”.This chartbook provides 2003 data on health insurance coverage, with special attention to the uninsured. It includes trends and major shifts in coverage and a profile of the uninsured population.

Prescription Drug Spending Under The MMA: Modeling The Impact On Out-of-Pocket Costs (November 22, 2004)
This report projects the impact of the new Medicare drug benefit on out-of-pocket spending for people who enroll in 2006. The analysis is based on a model developed by the Actuarial Research Corporation for the Kaiser Family Foundation. The model generally conforms to the Congressional Budget Office’s assumptions and projections about Medicare drug benefit spending and participation rates for the new benefit and for the low-income subsidy. 

National Survey on Consumer’s Experience with Patient Safety and Quality Information (November 2004)
Americans say that they do not believe that the nation's quality of care has improved, according to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, and other important institutions. The survey also finds that nearly half (48%) of U.S. residents say they are concerned about the safety of the medical care that they and their families receive. About one in three people (34%) say that they or a family member had experienced a medical error at some point 
in their life. This study summarizes key findings from a national survey that assesses Americans' perceptions about the quality of health care, their awareness and reported usage of information in making their health care choices, and their experiences with their health care providers.

A Review of Federal and State Policies Related to Immigrant’s Eligibility and Access to Publicly Funded Health Insurance (November 2004)
This brief from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the uninsured provides an overview of health coverage challenges facing immigrants, the federal rules regarding immigrants’ eligibility for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and state efforts to provide replacement coverage for immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid and SCHIP.

Prescription Drugs Trends (October 2004)
This two-page report provides trend data for prescription drug expenditures and the key factors that contribute to rising prescription spending: increases in utilization and prices, and changes in drug use from older drugs to newer higher-priced drugs. The report provides private and public responses to increasing drug costs.

Waste Not, Want Not : How Eliminating Insurance and Pharmaceutical Industry Waste Could Fund Health Care for All (October 7, 2004)
The United States ranks near the bottom of the industrialized countries in life expectancy, infant mortality. It does not provide public health insurance for its population. However, contrary to what many people think about the cost of health coverage for everyone, the United States already spends more than enough to insure the entire population. This report looks at the waste of the US private health insurance system with substantial detail. The US system subsidizes profits of corporations connected to the health industry rather than supporting good health for its citizens.

Americans & Health Care Reform: How Access and Affordability Are Shaping Views (September 15, 2004)
US citizens want their government to provide more public health care and favor importing prescription drugs. Will US legislators respond with programs that benefit citizens or that protect corporations? 
Opinion Research Corporation did telephone interviews from September 2 to 5, 2004, among a sample of 1020 adults 18 years old or older living in the United States. 78% of participants answered that they are willing to accept a greater government role in health care because it is a necessity such as water, gas, and electricity. Also, they appear willing to look at new ways to ensure access to affordable health care such as importing lower-cost prescription drugs. This report is originally made by Power Point but it is saved with PDF file. You may see the important parts of results of this survey with a lot of graphs.

Reimportation of Prescription Drugs (September 2004)
Spending on prescription drugs in America has increased faster than any other category of health care expenditures. Yet in Canada and many other industrialized nations, prescription drug prices are either partly or entirely kept in line by government negotiation and policy, leading to significantly lower prices for consumers.

A Review of the Quality of Health Care for American Indians and Alaska Natives (September 2004) 
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) continue to suffer significant disparities in their health status, despite the efforts of the Indian health system to improve the quality of care in AIAN communities. Severely underfunded, the system cannot deliver quality health care to this population. This paper reviews the current status of the quality of health care for AIANs. 

Americans & Health Care Reform: How Access and Affordability Are Shaping Views (September 15, 2004)
US citizens want their government to provide more public health care and favor importing prescription drugs. Will US legislators respond with programs that benefit citizens or that protect corporations? 
Opinion Research Corporation did telephone interviews from September 2 to 5, 2004, among a sample of 1020 adults 18 years old or older living in the United States. 78% of participants answered that they are willing to accept a greater government role in health care because it is a necessity such as water, gas, and electricity. Also, they appear willing to look at new ways to ensure access to affordable health care such as importing lower-cost prescription drugs. This report is originally made by Power Point but it is saved with PDF file. You may see the important parts of results of this survey with a lot of graphs.

Why Is Life Expectancy So Low in the United States? (August 2004)
The United has the second highest GDP in the world following Luxembourg . Usually, it is said that longevity is associated with income. In fact, Americans lived longer than people in other nations until 1980s. However, nowadays, American citizens do not live longer: the U.S. ranks 18^th in life expectancy for women among the 30 OECD countries. Why? Alicia H. Munnell, a head researcher of this study, tried to figure out the reasons.

Employer Health Benefits: 2004 Summary of Findings
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust introduced their latest findings on employers’ health benefits. They reported that all workers receiving health coverage from their employer fell from 65% in 2001 to 61% in 2004, estimating that at least five million people were affected by this change. Currently, most covered workers enjoy the same health benefits regardless their work place; however, experts are questioning whether smaller firms will continue to support family coverage if health costs continue to go up.

Doughnut Holes and Price Controls (July 21, 2004)
This detailed paper attempts to explore the implications of "doughnut hole" under the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit to be implemented in 2006. Medicare beneficiaries are left without coverage for expenses totaling from $2,250 to $5,100 referred to as the "doughtnut hole". Professor Anderson and colleagues propose to establish similar price controls existent in other developed countries such as Canada, United Kingdom and France. Professor Anderson hopes that such price controls will ensure better access to cheaper drugs. United States officials have to choose whether to introduce price controls and thereby reducing funding for Research and Development versus high drug prices for its citizens and increased funding for R and D. In 2003 alone, citizens of Canada, United Kingdom and France spent about 34-59% less than what American citizens paid for the same drugs.

NYC Department for the Aging Launches NYC Caregiver Website (July 20, 2004)
The New York City Department for the Aging has launched a new website with resources and support to New York City’s informal caregivers. More than 6,000 caregivers who speak 13 different languages have been served through the NYC Caregiver Program, but the new website will reach even more of the 2 million New York City caregivers, Edwin Méndez-Santiago emphasized. The website offers information in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Russian with a fully translated version of the website planned for the future. Although you may not live in NYC, US citizens can get a lot of useful information regarding caregiving issues, such as paying for care, getting help, healthy living, and even legal information. Try it!

A State Policy Agenda to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (June 2004)
John E. McDonough, the executive director of Health Care for All in Massachusetts and the head researcher of this article, argued that despite the fact that many states sponsor specific health programs that help racial and ethnic minorities, health disparities have still not been a high-level issue. He and his colleagues have given state policy makers a list of policy interventions in state infrastructure and capacity such as the elderly care, insurance coverage and primary care. Also, they addressed health conditions on racial and ethnic minorities such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. This report includes a lot of useful resources about the racial and ethnic health disparities.  

The Medicare Drug War: An Army of Nearly 1,000 Lobbyists Pushes a Medicare Law that Puts Drug Company and HMO Profits Ahead of Patients and Taxpayers (June 2004)
A recent study conducted by an advocacy group Public Citizen reveals the time, money and effort that went into lobbying to pass the new Medicare Law. The report reveals the hiring of 824 individual lobbyists in 2003 alone by the pharmaceutical industry. In the same year, pharmaceutical industry spent about $108.6 million on lobbying efforts alone. Please click on the link to read more about the details that went behind passing the Medicare law.

Reactions to the New Medicare Law (June 3, 2004)
A recent report by The Kaiser Family Foundation assessed Medicare beneficiaries' opinions and feelings towards the new Medicare law. The 10 focus groups were conducted in Pittsburg, PA, Kansas City, KS, and Washington, DC. The groups were divided into recipients with income of less than $17K, income between $17K-$35K, income above $35 and disability coverage. The focus groups addressed their reactions to the temporary drug discount card as well as the one beginning in 2006. What were the seniors' reactions towards the Medicare drug discount card? 

Who, When, and How: The Current State of Race, Ethnicity, and Primary Language Data Collection in Hospitals (May 2004) 
Romana Hasnain-wynia and other researchers at the Health Research and Educational Trust show that the lack of primary data of race/ ethnicity and primary language prevents eliminating disparities and improving the quality of patient care for all. According to the author’s survey of 1,000 hospitals nationwide and results of the 2003 American Hospital Association annual survey, only 78% of hospitals reported collecting race and ethnicity data about patients. 50 % of respondents from the 22 states that have a mandate to collect such data were actually aware of the mandate. Site visits to six leading hospitals and health systems convinced the authors that despite a commitment to collecting this information, no consistent policies and practices are in place. This ignorance turns a blind eye to racial and ethnic abuse!

Democracy on Drugs (May 18, 2004)
This study about the vote on the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill denounces the immoral circumstances of this vote. The first scandal came in January 2004, when US citizens discovered the real cost of the Medicare Law: from the $395 billion planned first to $534 billion. However the democratic process worked at its worst. Representative of Michigan, Nick Smith, said he was pressured and lobbied to vote "yes" to the Medicare bill. Moreover, it appears, Congress censored for the first time in 25 years the C-SPAN camera that records what the House of Representatives is doing. Furthermore, some of the officials who negotiated for the Medicare law, such as Thomas Scully, the former government official for Medicare, are now working in industries that receive financial advantage from the new law. 

Health Care Information (May 2004)
The Kaiser Family Foundation produced a data book regarding changes in the health care market place. They pointed out the striking changes in this area: the increase of health care spending and costs, the premiums and benefits changes and the consumers place in that issue. All these information will soon be available on the Kaiser Foundation Website.
(http://www.kff.org/insurance/7031/index.cfm)

Testimony Before the House Regarding Medicare Drug Discount Card Program (April 2004)
Consumers of all ages are in dire need of relief from the high cost of prescription drugs. The discount drug card program that is scheduled to go into effect soon may offer modest relief to some low-income Medicare beneficiaries. However, Congress needs to do much more to provide meaningful discounts for Medicare beneficiaries and relief for non-beneficiaries as well.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Women’s Health Coverage and Access to Care Findings from the 2001 Kaiser Women’s Health Survey (March 2004)
Kaiser Family Foundation reported significant racial and ethnic differences in health status. The Kaiser Women’s Health Survey, a nationally representative survey of nearly 4,000 women between the ages of 18 to 64, provided the basic information. These data show differences in health status, health insurance coverage, and selected measures of access to care among African American, Latina, and white. Although the data was gathered from young and middle aged women, they will become the elderly sooner or later. Therefore, the survey can predict the future health status among elder women with different ethnicities.

Trends in Manufacture Prices of Brand Name Prescription Drugs Used by Older Americans - First Quarter 2004 Update (January-March 2004)
The annual manufacturer price of prescription drugs has increased from 2000 to 2003, according to the AARP Public Policy Institute. Manufacturers raised prices on some 106 out of 197 drugs during the period from December 31, 2003 through March 31, 2004. The average annual rate of price increase rose from 6.9 % in 2003 to 7.2 % for the 12-month period ending in March 2004, while the rate of general inflation fells from 2.3 % to 2.0 %. The average annual price increase for brand name prescription drugs hurts older Americans who live on fixed incomes. Why then did AARP lobby so hard with millions of dollars for the Medicare Modernization Act that hurts older people by allowing unregulated drug prices? 

New Kaiser Family Foundation Survey Shows Seniors Confused About Medicare Rx Drug Law (February 26, 2004)
A survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows most seniors are confused about the Medicare prescription drug debate and the prescription drug law. Over 60% of US seniors followed the debate very closely but only 15% say they understand its meaning. Many seniors don't even know the law was passed. The complex nature of the new Medicare law represents a challenge to inform seniors about the new plan. For more information about this survey, please visit the Kaiser Family Foundation at www.kff.org.

Retiree Health Benefits in 2003: Employer Survey (January 14, 2004)
This survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Hewitt Associates between June and September 2003 provides detailed information on retiree health programs offered by large private-sector employers. The data in this survey reflect the responses of 408 large firms (private-sector employers with 1,000 or more workers) and provides information on eligibility, benefits, premiums, and total cost in 2003, and offers insights as to what changes employers say they are likely to make in the near future. 

Articles 

The Doctor Will See You Now...in Your Living Room (December 30, 2004)
This article highlighted a new program intended to care for a "rapidly growing elderly population" launched at several New York City hospitals. The programs incorporate technological advances, such as portable EKG and Doppler machines, to facilitate "complex, if routine, exams" by doctors or nurses in patients' homes. Hurray!

Governors Ask Bush Not to Cut Medicaid (December 23, 2004)
To lighten the Federal deficit, President Bush would still like to require the States to pay more for Medicare and Medicaid. The big deal is that Medicare expenditures already account for an average of 22% of the States’ budget at the expense of other crucial State responsibilities. That’s why the nation’s Governors wrote a letter on December 22, 2004, to President Bush to urge the White House not to increase the part paid by the States but to find a good answer to the growing number of elderly and the reform of the Social Security. Guess what Bush is going to say? It begins with a P…

Dying For Basic Care: For Blacks, Poor Health Care Access Cost 900,000 Lives (December 21, 2004)
More than 886,000 deaths could have been prevented from 1991 to 2000 if African Americans had received the same care as whites, according to an analysis in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health. The study estimates that technological improvements in medicine, including better drugs, devices and procedures, averted only 176,633 deaths during the same period. Racism continues to kill racial ethnic minorities in the USA.

Medicare Disadvantaged and the Search for the Elusive "Level Playing Field" (December 15, 2004)
Throughout its history, the Medicare program has tested various models designed to gradually integrate the participation of private health insurance organizations. Most recently, in an effort to expand the role of private insurers, the government has been paying these plans more per-enrollee compared with similar enrollees in traditional, fee-for-service Medicare. Why should US citizens continue to subsidize private business when it can be done better and for less cost in the public sector? Who benefits from such subsidies? Certainly not those using Medicare.

Bush Administration Gives Mixed View on Drug Imports (December 22, 2004)
Congress will get a government report on the possible importation of drugs from Canada. Do you remember President Bush said during the Presidential debate that he could allow the importation of drugs to decrease the cost of some medicines for individuals? But, one time again, the government offers a mixed point of view on the importation of drugs. On one hand, such a law could be feasible; consumer groups like AARP and some drugstore executives added that it will be safer than the unregulated imports; Americans will save more using generics available from Canada. On the other hand, the government warned that it will harm US pharmaceutical firms and thereby stall the development of new drugs in the United States (as if drug profits were not already huge) and the safety of the imported drugs could not be assured (have you heard about the Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra and Aleve’s scandals?).

A 4th Painkiller Is Tied to Increased Heart Risk (December 21, 2004)
After the Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra’s scandals, a new study has found that Aleve, a popular over-the-counter painkiller made by Bayer, could increase heart problems. Federal officials are warning patients not to exceed the recommended dose of two 200-milligram pills a day or continue therapy for more than 10 days without consulting a physician.

Top Ten Drug Interactions Most Dangerous to Seniors in Long-Term Care (December 14, 2004)
Numerous studies have shown senior citizens are the most prone to dangerous drug interactions, which has prompted the establishment of a project by the American Medical Directors Association and the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists to identify the ten drug interactions most commonly associated with such reactions by residents in long-term care. The following account, developed by Karen E. Brown, pharmacy doctor, outlines the impact, the mechanism of interaction, the prevention and the management of these ten drugs.

Retirees Are Paying More for Health Benefits, Study Says (December 15, 2004)
US health care costs are the highest in the world—since they must generate profits to nearly every segment of the health system: private insurance, medical equipment, medications, private hospitals, and much more. The US government has shrunk its commitment to public support of older persons’ health. Companies now find it difficult to sustain this private system and have cut back on retiree health benefits. That’s why US retirees have seen their personal insurance premiums increase about 25 percent this year and more increases are on the way. Will US companies and their retirees demand a public and universal health system, similar to European programs, to replace the present expensive arrangements?

Families Inform Roadmap to Improve Care for Dying in Nursing Homes (December 13, 2004)
End-of-life care in nursing homes often results in unnecessary suffering due mainly to a lack of staff time, training and communication, according to a new AARP study conducted at Brown Medical School. The report lists 15 recommendations to improve care, including more staffing, increased physician presence, additional training and better reimbursement rates.

A Lump of Coal For America's Poor (December 10, 2004)
With President Bush set to make his tax cuts permanent for 2005 and push Social Security privatization, the extra money to make up the difference has to come from somewhere. Bill Vaughan of Families USA says it's likely to come from one of the largest, and most vital, government programs: Medicaid. In a season of doing good unto others, cutting taxes for millionaires and leaving severely ill seniors in nursing homes without care is an immoral choice.

Medicare Caveat (December 8, 2004)
Tommy G. Thompson declared at a press conference following his resignation as Secretary of Health and Human Services that he was really proud of the Medicare prescription drug bill that he pushed through Congress. He claimed to be disappointed that the government would not be allowed to bargain for prices with drugs companies. He added that this “wonderful law” shouldn’t impoverish the elderly or push the government debt higher. A sick joke!

U.S. Settles on Regions for Dispensing Medicare Drug Benefits (December 7, 2004)
The government announced on December 6, 2004, the geographical plan to administer the new Medicare program sharing the country in 34 regions. A lot of critics denounce the numeric inequality of Medicare participants in these regions. Leslie V. Norwalk, acting deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said the boundaries had been drawn to maximize participation by private insurers in each region. In addition, the geographical boundary for preferred-provider organizations (PPO) is different than the Medicare one with 26 regions. On one side, the insurance companies agree these decisions and, on the other side, the non-profit organizations working on health issues are deeply disappointed. What is your opinion?

Health Care: The Real Crisis (December 3, 2004)
George Bush is beginning to frame his Social Security reform agenda as a way to help workers. That leaves Democrats the opportunity to reframe the debate about the best way to do so. Jonathan Tasini argues what will help workers—and American employers—is a single-payer health plan. In 2004, The United States will $1.8 trillion in health care. According to physicians for a National Health Program , a single-payer system could be financed by a 7 percent payroll tax and a 2 percent income tax and so do more for American people with less money. So why do the Republicans (and sometimes the Democrats too) expect to change the Social Security system? Maybe they need too many contributions from pharmaceutical industry for their political campaign?

Vioxx Scandal Raises Global Doubts on U.S. Drug Safety (December 1, 2004)
The recent US withdrawal of the drug, Vioxx, from the market because of the deaths it caused, increases doubts about the value and safety of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s work. Vioxx was used in more than 80 countries and its producer, Merck and Co., earned $2.5 billion dollars from the drug last year alone. Developing countries, which can’t afford to have their own drug regulation agency, have followed the FDA decisions in the past. But now they are stopping because the FDA cannot assure safety of tested drugs. Has the profit hungry drug industry captured the FDA staff positions? 

The Truth About the Drug Companies (2004)
From the flu vaccine to the latest scandal involving Vioxx, the drawbacks of the US market-based health care system couldn't be more clear. Here, the summary of Marcia Angell’s book “The truth about the drug companies: How they deceive us and what to do about it?” Besides, the graphics turn the readers’ attention to the big money that blinds politicians, and every public official, from performing their proper oversight role. Give this book for a holiday gift!

Act Now: Give Thanks for Original Medicare (November 24, 2004)
This Thanksgiving article spells out why Original Medicare is great for older persons in the US and how recent changes have benefited the corporations who stoke political candidates’ campaigns. To be read.

US: States' Tactics Aim to Reduce Drug Spending (November 21, 2004)
"My sense is that Congress is not coming back to this (high drug costs) for a while, but the problem hasn't gone away,'' said Governor Bob Wise of West Virginia. That’s why many States decided to act alone in order to curb spending on medicines for Medicaid recipients, public employees, prisoners and other residents. Some want to make better choices about testing the efficiency of drugs as well as deciding whether they are appropriate treatments. Others deal with pharmaceutical firms to obtain discounts in drug-purchasing pool and many have filed lawsuits to prove that the drug manufacturers inflate their prices. This trend concerns more and more State Governments.

The Flu Kills, but Documents Rarely List It as the Killer (November 3, 2004)
In 2002, influenza must have caused 2,500 deaths in New York City according to city health officials but it was listed as the cause of death for only two people. The problem is that flu provokes a fatal mix which leads to someone 's death. For instance, pneumonia is one of the diseases that originates from influenza. To sum up, influenza kills annually 36,000 people in the United States alone. Vulnerable people such as children and older persons are going to face influenza the epidemic this year without a vaccine due to shortages.

Study Supports Flu Shots For Elderly (November 3, 2004)
A Dutch study shows that yearly flu shots reduce significantly deaths of any cause for people aged 65 and more. People who were vaccinated every year were 28% less likely to die during the flu pandemic's season than people who received just one shot.

Novartis Drug Gains Wider Use (November 1, 2004)
A study directed by Dr. Goss, the head of Massachusetts General Hospital’s breast cancer division and a Harvard University professor, on 5,200 post menopausal women shows that Femara, a Novartis AG 's drug, reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence. The actual treatment of breast cancer, Tamoxifen, loses its efficiency after 5 years and may increase the risk of other kinds of cancer. So Femara use permits replacement of Tamoxifen after 5 years of treatment. Two-thirds of breast cancer recurrences and death happen after this period. The Food and Drug Administration approved the medicine which is now on the US market.

Waiting for Medicare: Experiences of Uninsured People with Disabilities (October 18, 2004)
While most of the 40 million Americans covered under Medicare are age 65 and older, nearly 6 million are under 65 due to severe and permanent disabilities. Unlike older Americans, who become eligible within a months around 65, disabled beneficiaries must wait two years before their coverage takes effect. Those who must wait face enormous problems. The researchers recommend that Congress eliminate the waiting period, expand Medicaid eligibility, and subsidize COBRA insurance coverage. Beneficiaries also need better information regarding their options for accessing health care and coverage.

Boomers Shift Another Culture (October 15, 2004)
"As baby boomers are getting older, they present a very different culture than the current culture of older adults" says the director of aging and adult services for the Colorado Department of Human Services. A study, revealed on October 15th 2004, points out that the strengths and needs of boomers as they prefer casino junkets to bingo and spicy food to traditional meals. Thanks to their active life, some 89% of baby boomers are around 89% thinking their quality of life as “good” or “very good”. Clydie Banks, one of the 
36, 000 US grandparents raising their grandchildren, enjoys what she’s doing. In fact, she’s the great grandmother of two great grandsons, ages 5 and 10 year old.

With Few Suppliers of Flu Shots, Shortage Was Long in Making (October 14, 2004)
At present only two major manufacturers for the United States' supply of flu vaccine, and at least a half-dozen other vaccines are made by single suppliers. That’s why the flu vaccine shortage shouldn’t be a surprise. There was already a vaccine shortage in the United States. For example, between November 2000 and May 2003, there were shortages of 8 of the 11 vaccines for childhood diseases. Actually, many American drug companies stopped their vaccine production because of the changing strains of the virus and that it was not profitable enough. Widespread public sickness does not matter to Big Pharma—just the dollars in the cash register! Perhaps it’s time for a publicly run vaccine producer.

National Institute on Aging, Industry Launch Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (October 13, 2004)
The US National Institute on Aging in conjunction with other Federal agencies as the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration and private companies has started a study to test serial magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography and other biological markers in an effort to identify emerging Alzheimer’s Disease. "This is an extraordinary pooling of talent and resources toward a common goal -- delaying or preventing Alzheimer's disease" said Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director of the NIA.

Medicare to Reimburse for Carotid Stent Use (October 13, 2004)
The U.S. Medicare program on Tuesday said it would pay for the use of carotid stents for older and disabled patients who need them to prevent strokes. The Food and Drug administration approved quickly Guidant Corp.’s carotid artery stent in August and other companies wait for its approval.

Local Seniors in a Scramble (October 13, 2004)
"People are really upset; they think they are going to die" said the director of Long Island's Jewish Association for Services for the Aged. The flu shot vaccine worried people above all persons at high risk like the elderly. People wait for the vaccine everyday and, for instance, the Nassau County Department of Senior Citizen Affairs received 200 calls a day inquiring about the vaccine. Citizens must wait in a queue for hours just hoping that they don’t miss the flu vaccine.

New Medicare Drug Benefit may Cover Pills for Impotence (October 13, 2004)
Impotence drugs such as Viagra, Cialis and Levitra, and possibly a libido-enhancing drug for women, could be covered under the new Medicare prescription-drug plan. U.S. Pharmacopeia, which must help to decide before December 31, 2004 what drugs to cover, would include “impotent agents” in Medicare benefits. Other experts denounce such a choice in Medicare’s priorities. Expect a big debate about sexual health! 

Elderly could Face Shortfall (October 13, 2004)
Funding for Colorado services may not keep pace with the increased numbers of seniors. In fifteen years, the senior population is expected to double in Denver and surroundings counties. Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) wants to warn people that costs are going to increase because older persons will need more home-delivered meals, medical transport and in-home services such as assistance with bathing and cleaning, transportation. There’s still time to plan and to adopt innovative programs—will they do it?

Retirees Confronted to Medicare’s Limits (October 12, 2004)
(Article in French)
Medicare’s reforms that the Bush administration pushed through Congress doesn’t satisfy American citizens. The federal health coverage program for people over 65 and the handicapped doesn’t provide sufficient allowance for health care and medicines and its administration is very complicated. Therefore, American people choose, if they can afford it, to buy a secondary health plan that they must pay for every few months. If they knew the details of the French health system, US citizens would jump for it.

Train Headed for Canada, Cheaper Medicine (October 11, 2004)
”Medi-don’t-care” should be the new name of Medicare according to Mildred Fruhling, a customer of the RX Express. Sponsored by the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights (FTCR), a nonpartisan consumer-advocacy group, Rx Express is a train that takes seniors and other patients to Canada where prescription drugs are less than half the price of prescription drugs in the United States. Of course, its customers are not obliged to travel to Canada to have cheaper medicines but the ride serves as a protest to the health policy of the US government. Because of this policy, many seniors must choose between medicines and necessities as food and shelter.

Medicare Overhaul Is Plagued by Difficulties (October 11, 2004)
President Bush claimed that the Medicare changes adopted last year would be "the greatest advance in health care coverage for America's seniors since the founding of Medicare.'' Nevertheless, the first step of this law, a prescription drug card, has yet to come into effect. Seniors are confused and see little benefit in the various plans. In reality, Congress changed the law to benefit and enrich the pharmaceutical companies—on the backs of the elderly. Reports of corruption, pay-offs, and favors dispensed swamp Congress with only one word: “Greed.”

After Meeting, F.D.A. Official Is Pessimistic on Winter Flu Vaccine (October 9, 2004)
A day after a team from the Food and Drug Administration met British regulators about their decision to quarantine nearly half the United States' supply of flu vaccine, the agency's acting commissioner said yesterday that he was pessimistic that the vaccination program could be salvaged for use this winter. A number of seniors have questions about whether this elimination of widespread flu prevention in 2004 will simply boost anti-viral drug sales to fight the flu when it arrives? Paranoia? Or Possibility? Will Big Pharma win another round?

Studies Raise Questions On Value of Intensive Care (October 8, 2004)
"It is clear that quality is inversely correlated with the intensity of care and that the better hospitals are using fewer resources and providing fewer hospitalizations and physician visits," said John E. Wenneberg, a co-author of a study published in the journal Health Affairs and director of Dartmouth's Center for Evaluative Clinical Sciences. Two studies conducted by Dartmouth Medical School point out that elderly patients with chronic illnesses who stay in the intensive care unit longer, receive more diagnostic tests or are treated by numerous specialists do not fare better than those who receive less intensive care.

Health Care Carries Weight in Presidential Debates (October 8, 2004)
Medical care took up many minutes of the US Presidential debates. Headlines suggest that healthcare concerns US people very directly. Here is a comparison of the two major candidates on medical malpractice, Medicare and prescription drugs, health care costs, stem cell research and drug importation.

Priority List for Flu Shots Issued after Sudden Shortage Erupts Includes All 65 and Older (October 6, 2004)
In response to the sudden news of a critical shortage in the supply of flu vaccine, the US Center for Disease Control in the Department of Health and Human Services issued new recommendations concerning who should receive priority for the vaccinations this season. It concerns all children under 23 months, children under 18 on chronic aspirin therapy, all people up to 65 years-old, adults with underlying chronic medical conditions, health-care workers and pregnant women. But will there be a vaccine? 

Aging Work Force Could Worsen Nursing Shortage (October 6, 2004)
In Michigan, a third of 110,000 nurses plan to retire within 10 years according to a survey by the Michigan Center for Nursing. 17% of working registered nurses are older than 55, and about 24% of working, licensed practical nurses are older than 55. “We will have a significant shortage if we don’t change things,” said Anne Rosewarne, the president of the Michigan Health Council. At the same time, nursing schools don’t have enough capacity to train new nurses. But this is not the problem in only Michigan. The US will face serious shortages of nurses near future. In terms of keeping the quality of care, how to increase the number of nurses is the one of important issues for the elderly health.

Diabetes Often Leads to Disability in Old Age (October 5, 2004)
According to the meeting of the American Neurological Association, diabetics are more likely to have a disability. As a part of The Religious Orders Study, 922 older Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers were examined their medical conditions yearly for up to 10 years. “Persons with diabetes at a lower level of motor function declined at a faster rate compared to persons without diabetes,” Dr. Zoe Arvanitakis at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said. She added that the risk of disability occurring was 47 % greater in diabetics than in non-diabetics.

More Federal Funding Needed for Medicaid, Analysts Say (October 4, 2004)
"It is clear that closing the coverage gap for low-income families will require additional federal resources if states are to expand coverage," said the executive director of the commission. The problem for states is, on both sides, the costs of healthcare and medicines are always going up. The US Congress, which provided additional funding for 15 months, ended it on June 30, 2004. Therefore, the State part of Medicaid financing will double at least in fiscal 2005. So the poor get sick, stay sick, and may infect others. A sad story.

Medicare Savings Program, Set to Expire, Is Extended (October 4, 2004)
A program that helps low-income Medicare beneficiaries for their Medicare Part B premium has been extended beyond the Presidential elections. Now it will expire on November 20. According to the Centers for the Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the so-called QI-1 program is for the Medicare beneficiaries with assets that don’t exceed twice the supplemental security income level ($4,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a couple) and who have income of at least 120% of the federal poverty level but less than 135% of the federal poverty level. Approximately, 144,000 elderly enrolled in the QI-1 program, and it provides about $800 a year in Medicaid funds to low-income Medicare beneficiaries.

Maine and One of Its Tribes Look to Buy Canadian Drugs (October 1, 2004)
Gov. John Baldacci, a Democrat, is asking the federal government to find a way to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada. He emphasized that it is unfair if Maine citizens pay more expensive prices for prescription drugs than their neighbor, Canadians, pay. According to Baldacci’s plan, the state would allow the Penobscot Indian Nation to act as the wholesale distributor of Canadian drugs, generating income and jobs for the tribe. Despite the fact that the federal government doesn’t allow importing the Canadian drugs, Illinois, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Wisconsin have set up the websites that let their citizens connect to Canadian pharmacies in order to allow consumers to buy drugs on their own. 

Prostate Cancer has Become Most Common Non-Skin Cancer in the United States (September 22, 2004)
What is the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer in the USA? Prostate cancer. One in six American men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime. A little-known fact is that a man is 33% more likely to develop prostate cancer than an American woman is to get breast cancer. In 2004, US doctors will diagnose 230, 000 new prostate cancer cases. Over the next decade as baby boomer men reach the target age for the diagnosis of prostate cancer, new prostate cancer cases will likely rise to 300,000 per year.

Punching the Time Clock of Life (September 27, 2004)
Darwin’s natural selection theory has long been accepted. However, Valter Longo, an assistant professor in the USCL Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, explored a new way to look at aging that directly opposes from Darwin: it hinges on a process called “group selection” that selection happens at the group level rather than the individual. He realizes this theory was against the fundamental theories of evolution, so he has spoken with prominent evolutionary biologists about his ideas. But no one could say that his idea was wrong. “Most likely, most organisms undergo programmed longevity,” Longo said. “Life is programmed. Whether death is programmed or not is yet to be determined.” 

Time For A Checkup (September 21, 20004)
Do you know why the world richest country can barely meet the health benchmarks set by other developed countries? Do you know the reason why American’s life expectancy is lower although the U.S. spends more on health care than any country on earth? In this article, the author reveals that  relative social equality and a national health care system result in good health for citizens. In the U.S., neither condition pertains and yields the predicted low health status, particularly affecting persons of color and the poor. In this election season, Americans must consider why the U.S. doesn’t have a national health care insurance, which most socially developed nations have. More US voters should consider how the socioeconomic disparities affects on American’s health.

Disparities: For Cancer Survivors, Worse Care (September 21, 2004) 
People who survive cancer receive worse care than the general population when it comes to other diseases, the online version of the journal Cancer reported. 14,000 Medicare patients who had been treated for colon cancer were compared with that of 14,000 Medicare patients who had never had cancer. The head researcher, Dr. Craig C. Earle of the Dana Farber Cancer institute in Boston, said that the study showed that the cancer patients were less likely to receive a number of preventive measures or adequate follow-up care for other conditions. Especially older, racial and ethnic minority, and/or lower income people do not go to both an oncologist and a primary care physician. In terms of the quality of life, both the cancer and other diseases should be treated. 

AoA Awards $5.1 Million to Support Community Services for Seniors Aging in Place in 22 Cities and Counties (September 20, 2004)
The U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA), Department of Health and Human Services announced that they distribute $5,144,959 in 22 grants (16 new grants and six continuations) to help the elderly who live independently in their communities. Josefina Carbonell, Assistant secretary for Aging, said, “all of the projects will be testing innovative approaches to helping our older citizens to projects with other communities across the nation.” Living in their own community is important for the elderly in terms of the quality of their life. The institutes that will receive the grant are Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Southern Arizona, Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado, Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis, Jewish Federation of Atlantic and Cape May Counties, and some other 12 institutions.

Private Plans Costing More for Medicare (September 16, 2004)
Medicare pays private health plans more than it would cost to care for the same patients in the traditional Medicare program! Members of Congress concerned that the majority of seniors in Medicare subsidize the minority of seniors in private plans. Currently, about 11.5% of Medicare beneficiaries are in health maintenance organizations and other private plans which are known as Medicare Advantage plans. In the traditional Medicare with no supplemental insurance, the elderly paid $2,631 in 2003, on average, while those in private plans spent $1,964. Will Congress address this unfair issue?

A Doctor Puts the Drug Industry under a Microscope (September 14, 2004) 
Dr. Marcia Angell, a pathologist and the former editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine now holds a senior lecturership at Harvard Medical School. Based on her background, she wrote a book “The Truth About the Drug Companies: How They Deceive Us and What to Do About It” (Random House). In this article, Dr. Angell answered several questions regarding how she sees the drug industries and what people should know. Drug companies’ fund “research” and get medical journals to print the positive results. To understand how the pharmaceutical firms corrupt and distort so-called scientific journals as well as implicating complicit medical doctors and their teaching institutions, read her book. You will see what is going on in the drug companies. 

Election-Year Debate Over Health Care Intensifies (September 14, 2004)
Health care is one of the big arguments in the 2004 US Presidential election. President George W. Bush emphasized more affordable health care while John Kerry proposed new federal subsidies that would allow the uninsured to join the federal employee’s health plan and consumers to buy Canadian drugs. Since these issues affect the elderly, both candidates are now trying to get more seniors’ attention. Hot air? Or real plans?

Driving Errors Seen in Early Alzheimer's Disease (September 13, 2004)
In the U.S., living without a car can be tough. However, patients with even mild Alzheimer’s were more likely to make incorrect turns, to get lost and to steer erratically or make other safety errors. Dr. Ergun Uc of the University of Iowa said that there are no criteria to predict driver’s safety in Alzheimer’s disease. Nevertheless, safety is the very important issue for patients and their families. Currently, one in ten Americans over the age 65 is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, and nearly one out of two over the age 85.

Oncologists Say Medicare Won't Cover Drug Costs (September 8, 2004)
Medicare payment cuts will harm cancer patients! According to the American Society of Clinical Oncologists, more than half of clinics and doctors’ office that provide cancer-fighting chemotherapy are unable to cover the costs of some key drugs. A survey by ASCO found that 70% of medical practices will have to pay more for pamidronate, which is used to treat advanced cancers spreading to the bone, and 73% will not be able to cover the costs of the drug epoetin to treat anemia, a common side effect of chemotherapy. 

Nearly All Eligible Hospitals Are Reporting Quality of Care Data (September 2, 2004)
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that nearly all of the nation’s eligible hospitals started to report data on the quality of care they deliver. Health and Human Services Secretary, Tommy G. Thompson, said “making information available on care delivered provides people with the tools necessary to make decisions on where to go for their health care.” CMS sent questionnaires to hospitals, nursing homes and home health care agencies to provide information on the care they deliver. Beginning early in 2005, the hospital quality data will be available at www.medicare.gov, or by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).

Pfizer Ends Drug Cards for Elderly (September 1, 2004) 
In an example of drug company arrogance, Pfizer, the America’s largest drug company, stopped its widely used discount card for the elderly. Private corporations are “accountable” to their shareholders—not an electorate—and can take whatever action it wants to balloon its “bottom line.” Pfizer claimed it had announced to 536,000 cardholders for months that it wouldn’t continue the discount program beyond August 31, and advised them to sign up for other discount cards. But several hundred thousand low-income Medicare beneficiaries are left without access to reduced prices for popular medicines such as the cholesterol drug Lipitor. With the Pfizer card, a 30-day supply of Lipitor cost $15, compared with $68 at one Internet pharmacy or $43.32 at one Canadian Website. Now, how do low-income seniors afford cholesterol drugs? Pfizer, apparently, could care less.

Phone Pals Play Vital Role for Elderly Folks Home Alone (August 26, 2004) 
In Washington County, Oregon, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) developed a telephone reassurance program for the elderly who live alone and need company. Currently, 19 volunteers with an average age of 73 are reaching out to 24 seniors with an average age of 82. Margaret Larson, 84, is one of veteran callers at RSVP. She likes this volunteer work because she is able to help others without leaving her home. Also, for the phone receivers, talking with someone is the way to socialize. Elder phone pals strongly connect each other.

New Treatments For Alzheimer's Symptoms (August 26, 2004)
About half of Alzheimer’s patients suffer from developing psychiatric and behavioral symptoms such as violent outbursts, paranoid thoughts and intense anxiety while they fight against slow erosion of memory, the major symptom of Alzheimer’s. These behavioral changes shock family members, close friends, and patients themselves. Fortunately, a number of new studies found out that so-called atypical antipsychotics, a class of drugs normally used to treat young schizophrenics, can reduce the psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Although some serious side effects such as an increasing risk of stroke and diabetes are reported, Alzheimer’s patients and their families will enjoy benefits of new treatments.  Of course, families and caregivers must be vigilant that such medications are not used to sedate elderly and thus permit lower staffing levels at nursing homes.

Caregivers Get No Emotional Relief from Institutionalizing Relatives with Dementia (August 24, 2004) 
A University of Pittsburgh study shows that caregivers who make the difficult decision to place their relatives into institutionalized care don’t feel relief from depression and anxiety. The leading researcher, Dr. Richard Schulz, said caregivers “continue to feel distressed because of the suffering and decline of their loved one as well as having to face new challenges such as frequent trips to the long-term care facility, reduced control over the care provided to their relatives, and taking on responsibilities such as coordinating and monitoring care.” We need to understand caregivers’ emotional distress, and educate them about the nature of long-term care facilities and their impact on patient functioning.

Med Schools Put More Emphasis on Gerontology (August 22, 2004)
US Medical schools are now looking for creative ways to increase new doctors’ interest in gerontology. As the aged population increases, the demand for doctors who specialize in elderly patients will grow, too. However, according to a 2003 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, health care professionals and physicians “tend to have a negative attitude toward older patients.” Because a doctor’s bedside manner is important in patient care, medical schools are trying to give their students opportunities to work with senior people.

Medicare Drug Muddle ( August 20, 2004 )
Receiving affordable health care is one of major human rights, isn’t it? However, American seniors are facing unnecessary confusions regarding Medicare drug benefits.  Assistance with the rising cost of prescription drugs is at the top of the wish list among Medicare recipients. But Medicare is forbidden from negotiating lower prices with drug companies, and importing cheaper drugs from Canada and other countries is also forbidden though the law is currently ignored. In addition to these, Medicare is now allowing more than 70 different discount cards to be offered without uniform coverage or discounts. How can American elderly get affordable prescription drugs?

Cholesterol Drug Helps All Diabetics, Study Finds ( August 20, 2204 )
Helen Colhous, a professor at the University College Dublin, found out that a cholesterol-lowering drug cuts the risk for heart attacks and strokes. She studied more than 2,800 diabetics who took the cholesterol drug Lipitor, and the result was that more than one-third of them were less likely to have a heart attack and about one-third of them were also less likely to die from any form of cardiovascular disease. Other experts agreed with this study and recommended that most diabetics should consider taking the cholesterol drugs regardless their cholesterol levels. 
     
You Can Soon Switch off Your Anxiety (August 19, 2004)
Anxiety and sleep disorders are common problems among the elderly. Rainer Reinscheid and his colleagues found out that a protein switch in the brain helps to reduce anxiety levels. They reported that the protein which they named neuropeptide S (NPS) is produced in brain cells which regulate activity in a person. Reinscheid concluded that the discovery of this transmitter system might help to understand sleep disorders and pathological states of anxiety.

E-rasing Colds: Vitamin E May Help to Fight the Common Cold (August 18, 2004) 
Vitamin E works to prevent cold and other upper respiratory infections especially for the elderly, a new study said. Elderly residents at nursing home received vitamin E supplements or a placebo every day for one year. Researchers found out that residents who took vitamin E were less likely to catch cold than those who took placebo. Bobbi Langkamp-Henken, at the Human Nutrition Department of the University of Florida , recommended that people still need a balanced healthy diet although she thinks taking a multivitamin supplement with a little vitamin E is not a bad idea. “As with anything, the key is moderation and variety,” she added.

CMS Encourages States to Give Medicaid Beneficiaries More Control over the Long-Term Care Services They Receive (August 17, 2004)
Where would you like to live if you need a long-term care? Nursing home or your own house? By law, the Medicaid program favors institutional care for elderly and disabled people who need assistance for daily living. However, Mark B. McClellan, the administrator at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, addressed in a letter to state Medicaid directors that many states actually have several approaches of using Medicaid funds to keep more elderly and disabled people out of institutions and live in their own communities. “The concept of money following the person’s own preferences improves satisfaction and may reduce Medicaid costs too,” he added.  

Voices of Senior Citizens [Report by GAA Intern] (August, 2004)
On August 6, 2004, GAA interns attended a Senior Citizens’ meeting held at Crown Gardens Community in Brooklyn, NY. Congressman Major Owens and State Senator Carl Andrews were present to address the issues of senior citizens in their community. Various topics related to aging issues were covered in the meeting, including prescription drugs, senior housing, upcoming presidential election, and more.

Mexico Probes Fake Dugs in Border Town Area Popular with Americans Seeking Cheap Prescriptions (August 12, 2004) 
U.S. official said a pharmacy sold useless tablets labeled as Zocor, a cholesterol drug, to an American citizen in Algodones, Arizona. Mexican authorities are now investigating the sale of fake or substandard medicine in a border town. For Americans, cheaper medications are preferable. So, shifting to “similar drugs” is very common. However, receiving inactive ingredient is not a laughing matter. Industry officials say that at border pharmacies sell drugs of dubious effectiveness. However, some senior people who have bought drugs from Algodones drug stores reported they haven’t had any problems at all. Instead, they insist that these cheap medicines help a lot of old Americans whose income is limited. Are Algodones stores knights on white horse or con artists?

Dangerous Drugs Provided to 21 Percent of Elderly (August 10, 2004)
One in five elderly Americans receive inappropriate prescriptions drugs, a study of 1999 insurance claims said. According to Lesley Curtis, Duke University Medical center, 162,370 patients (21%) received one or more prescription drugs which should be avoided in elderly patients or which are inappropriate for use in elderly patients. Antidepressants and doxepin- both used for treatment of depression- accounted for 23 % of claims for Beers list drugs, and 51% of these claims were for drugs with potentially harmful effects. Persons of 65 years or older are less than 15 % of the American population, but they use nearly one-third of prescription drugs.

When It Comes to Exercise a Little Bit Goes a Long Way (August 9, 2004) 
Even small exercise prevents heart disease, cancer and other illness! According to a report by Swedish researchers, older adults who exercised only once a week were 40% less likely to die during the 12 years of study period than those who did not exercise at all. Many people believe that an hour of aerobic exercises such as walking and jogging per day are good for their health. But from a functional standpoint, people only need to maintain muscle strength and power to take care of themselves. Researchers recommend that people need to expend 1,000 or more calories a week no matter days of which you spend. 

Many Lost Health Insurance from Employer, Study Says (August 3, 2004) 
From 2001 to 2003, nearly 9 million Americans lost their employer-provided health insurance. Particularly, low-income workers and Hispanics lost insurance. The cost of insurance increased by 28 % despite the fact that the economic sank. During the study period, all age groups experienced a decline in employer coverage. The insurance coverage for workers with family incomes less than twice the federal poverty level, $36,800 for a family of four, declined from 37.4 % to 32.5%. Hispanics with employer-provided insurance also dropped from 46.7 % to 39.7 %. Because of these new developments, the percentage of working-age Americans enrolled in public programs increased from 9 to 12 %. Lack of health insurance from employers affects Americans health severely!

Pharmacy Benefit Managers A Growing Force in Medicare (August 2, 2004)
Changing times have redefined the role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers in the Medicare market. Pharmacy Benefit Managers play a role equivalent to the one performed by managed care companies towards hospitals. Rising costs have led many seniors to resort to extreme measures to meet their changing health care needs. PBMs recently have been accused of changing patients' medications without confirming with physicians and patients and profiting from the transactions. Currently, Caremark and Medco Health Solutions comprise the two largest pharmacy benefit managers in the United States and are both under investigation for charges.

Medicare Will Foot the Bill for an Initial Exam at 65 (July 28, 2004)
The new Medicare Law covers a wide range of preventative services about to take into effect on January 1, 2005. New Medicare beneficiaries will now be reimbursed for initial physical examinations that include influenza and hepatitis B vaccines, mammograms, Pap smears and pelvic examinations and screening tests for prostrate cancer, colon cancer, glaucoma and osteoporosis. Medicare would also cover screening tests for cholesterol and diabetes for current beneficiaries. Congress hopes that the new changes in Medicare law would help doctors to diagnose early and recommend treatment.

Assisted Living Facility Planned for Tribe (July 28, 2004)
In Maine, Penobscot Nation are in the process of building an assisted-living facility for their elders. In the past Indian Island elders had to leave their homes and the island when they needed care. The facility will be the first such venture for assisted living so that Indian Island elders do not have to leave the reservation to get access to services. 

Cancer Drug Could Help Alzheimer’s (July 27, 2004) 
Dr. Daniel Alkon, the scientific director of the Blanchette Rockefeller Neurosciences Institute in Morgantown, discovered that bryostatin, a cancer drug, might prevent progression of Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that bryostatin helped mice break down proteins that leave deposits in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s. The rate of premature death among mice was low. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved bryostatin for some cancer trials, therefore, it could speed the approval process.

Draft Rules for Medicare Law Unveiled (July 27, 2004)
The Bush administration released a draft of the new Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit regulations about to be implemented in 2006. The 1,956 pages of documents provide insight on the inner workings on how the law is going to take into effect. Billions of federal dollars are going to be spent to implement this new law. The draft is open for public comment for 60 days. Already, many aging advocate organizations, such as Families USA (and Global Action on Aging) have been deeply critical of the manipulation of information during the Congressional debate and the exorbitant pay-offs to drug companies and employers that the this new law will permit. The release of the draft is intended to aid potential participants of the program.

Medicare: Do-over (July 26, 2004)
This article urges American citizens to exercise their voting rights and take action against the atrocities committed to pass the New Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Legislation. Recent Medicare legislation has not resolved existing issues. Instead, seniors are more confused about prescription drugs. They have to choose from more than 70 different options available; these vary from state to state. Some options available to seniors are often not beneficial if the state program offers a better one. Rising prescription drug costs are not monitored and government price controls illegal under this new law resulting in high profits for drug companies. Whose pocket is getting filled?

Conventional Wisdom (July 23, 2004)
American citizens face the daunting task of sifting through vast amounts of contradictory information to decide their vote. Corporations now contribute to both party conventions to protect their financial interests, no matter who wins. Federal contributions to both parties, a new trend in lobbying by big companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer Inc, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, Metropolitan Life, Fannie Mae, Serona, Inc, Amgen, Inc, and Altria group raise some important questions as to the influence of companies and legislation they want Congress to pass-or keep. Who's in charge? Is the US election system a sham? Many may decide that voting doesn't matter when big corporate can buy the election. 

Blacks, Hispanics Develop Alzheimer's Earlier (July 21, 2004) 
Two recent studies presented at the International Conference on Alzheimer's disease and Related Disorders in Philadelphia indicate Hispanic and African Americans show symptoms of Alzheimer's at an earlier age than white Americans. Researcher Dr. Christopher Clark of the University of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine did a study on Hispanics and James Laditka of the University of South Carolina at Columbia focused his study on African Americans. The study involved persons over the age of 55 and above.

Drug Approved For Heart Failure In Black Patients (July 20, 2004) 
(See Appended Correction)
When the NitroMed Pharmaceutical company decided to conduct a clinical trial involving only black patients, many questioned the racialist research period. The company said blacks had a higher rate of heart failure compared to the rest of the U.S. population and did not respond well to medications available in the market. The medications currently available in the market are known to have significant effects on white Americans. The trial began in 2001 involved about 1, 050 patients suffering from heart failure. BiDil was known to be so effective that the trail was halted. The drug is not currently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Correction: July 21, 2004, Wednesday 
The headline of the Market Place column on the front page of Business Day yesterday, about a clinical trial for BiDil, a drug aimed at heart failure specifically in black patients, misstated the outcome. The trial was halted because the drug was so effective; the drug did not receive approval.

Big Pharma Is A Two-Faced Friend (July 19, 2004) 
Marcia Angell explores the two-sided nature of Big Pharma. This thought provoking article raises some important points about the veracity of pharmaceutical deals. It urges readers to question the motive behind pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer that have recently launched a programme to offer discount drugs to uninsured and low-income Americans.

Drug Reimportation Plan Saves City $2.5 Million (July 15, 2004)
In Connecticut, a deficit ridden Springfield city saved $2.5 million by reimporting prescription drugs from Canada for city employees. Springfield sets the precedent in the United States to sponsor such a program. Cities such as Montgomery, Ala, Burlington, Vt, Portland, Maine, and Worcester, Massachusetts have similar programs. FDA has provided numerous warnings regarding the safety and security of buying drugs from other countries. What is the point of having safe and secure drugs when seniors are unable to afford it?

Eight Acquitted in Drug Incentives Case (July 15, 2004)
Eight employees of TAP Pharmaceutical Products were acquitted for employing improper methods to lure physicians to use their products. The physicians were given free dinners, golf trips and numerous other benefits in exchange for prescribing prostrate cancer drug Lupron and heartburn medicine Prevacid. The verdict comes after a three month deliberation process. Makes one wonder, who is honest in the system?

Trade Pact May Undercut Inexpensive Drug Imports (July 12, 2004)
The Bush administration creates profit opportunities for pharmaceutical companies by indirectly influencing regulation of drugs in wealthy countries. The international trade agreement about to be signed between U.S and Australia would prevent the import of cheap drugs into the United States. The trade agreement also proposes to share the burden of Research and Development costs among all the wealthy countries. A direct result of this agreement would likely increase in drug costs in developed countries such as Australia that now have price controls to ensure cheap drugs for citizens. The agreement, if signed, enables the U.S government through their pharmaceutical industries to influence the types of drugs that Australian pharmacies can sell to their own citizens. The trade agreement will have indirect implications for developing countries that are able to manufacture drugs for their citizens at a comparatively cheaper price. How are these policy decisions going to impact the lives of vulnerable citizens of the world?

Ethnic Disparity Seen in Institutionalizing Elders (July 12, 2004)
A study by Dr. Dolores Gallagher-Thompson of Stanford University School of Medicine and VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California indicates an ethnic disparity in institutionalization of older persons. The study involved 264 women caregivers caring for loved ones suffering from Dementia. In comparison to White women caregivers, Hispanic women caregivers were found to delay the institutionalization process due to cultural values, according to the research. We don’t know whether financial costs of institutionalization or other reasons delayed the Hispanic caregivers.

Studies Look at Health Care in the U.S. (July 8, 2004)
Commonwealth Fund published a study that analyzed the quality of care in five countries. United States spends 14% of gross domestic product on health care in comparison to 8% spend in other countries. In spite of this expenditure, United States lags behind in delivering quality health care to its citizens. Researchers Uwe E. Reinhardt, Peter S. Hussey, and Gerard F. Anderson indicate the high expenditure is due to the high charges of U.S doctors and hospitals. What can American citizens do to make quality care affordable to all its citizens? National health care?

Hospitals In 3 Southern States Sue Over Medicare (July 7, 2004)
The Alabama Hospital Association filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Health and Human Services Department for $226.3 million. According to the lawsuit, Medicare charged twice the rate normally charged in the rest of the country for the same procedure. The lawsuit includes 78 hospitals in Alabama, 13 hospitals in Louisiana, and 6 hospitals in Mississippi. The Association cited discrepancies in the formula used for calculating reimbursements for in-patient hospital service.

Dems Cite Errors in Info on Medicare Drug Cards (July 7, 2004)
Democrats released a report that indicates that the Medicare website contains incorrect information about the new prescription drug benefit. Some of the misinformation includes the names of non-participating pharmacies, and names of pharmacies that do accept a particular card. The survey included two local and independently owned pharmacies. The misinformation has caused a lot of confusion among older adults who are already overwhelmed by the intricacies of the new drug card.