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CAREGIVERS USA NEWS Vol. I, No. 12 January 27, 2003 BUSH TIES DRUG BENEFIT TO MANAGED CARE Responding to seniors' demands for a Medicare drug benefit, President Bush tomorrow night is expected to propose a plan that would confer a drug benefit on those who enroll in a managed care version of Medicare offered by a private insurer. Bush and other Republicans think partial privatization and competition will drive down costs but the plan is likely to meet virulent opposition in Congress and from most organizations representing the aged. http://atsh.org/news/bush_rx.html NCOA LAUNCHES ONLINE DRUG DISCOUNT LOCATOR The National Council on the Aging has announced a new service that helps seniors find discount programs on major pharmaceutical products. BenefitsCheckUpRx is a free confidential screening tool that provides seniors with a comprehensive and personalized listing of their eligibility for over 240 prescription drug savings programs covering nearly 800 medications. BenefitsCheckUpRx is a major expansion to NCOA's BenefitsCheckUp, a Web site that that has provided more than 820,000 eligibility reports for federal and state benefit programs to older Americans. http://atsh.org/news/checkuprx.html MORE DOCTORS LIMITING MEDICARE PRACTICE The American Medical Association says a survey finds that 48% of physicians will begin to increase limits on the number of Medicare patients they treat. The drop in patients is a result of the impending 2003 physicians' payment cut, AMA said. Another 60% of physicians report that over the past year it has become more difficult to find suitable physicians or surgeons to whom they can refer their Medicare patients. http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/1751- 7208.html ----------advertisement---------- DON'T GET LOST IN THE WOODS Can family caregivers looking for help in your community find you easily? Caregivers-USA's new Family Tree of Elder Caregiving provides an easy, economical way to raise your visibility. Charter rates remain in effect - 18 months for the price of 12. http://caregivers-usa.org -------------------------------- KAISER WILL PUBLISH TREATMENT GUIDELINES Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest non-profit HMO, says it will publish on its Web site its internal "evidence-based" guidelines for the treatment of hundreds of diseases and conditions. The information will be available to the general public as well as to Kaiser patients and will make it easier for consumers to assess the care they are receiving. http://atsh.org/news/kaiser_guides.html KAISER PUBLISHES STATE-BY-STATE DISPUTE GUIDELINES Kaiser Family Foundation and Consumers Union are publishing a state-by-state guide on resolving disputes with health care plans and employers. The guide was developed after a survey by Kaiser and Harvard University School of Public Health found that almost half (48%) of privately insured adults under age 65 had a problem with their health plan in the last year with a range of consequences from minor hassles to adverse effects on their health. http://atsh.org/news/kaiser_healthplan.html LIFE IN A NURSING HOME The American Health Care Association (AHCA) has published "Living in a Nursing Facility: Myths and Realities." The 9-page brochure aims to educate individuals about the move to a nursing facility and help them gain a comfort level with the future move. The guide is intended for facilities, doctor's offices, hospitals, offices on aging, or any other organization that works with families and the elderly. http://www.ahca.org/brief/nr021204.htm "WEALTHSPAN" ISSUES ADDRESSED Widener University and the American Society on Aging are among those launching a continuing education program for financial planners. The program will produce "certified financial gerontologists" who will be schooled in "wealthspan" issues, an ASA press release said. The goal is to help clients determine "how to best finance longevity," the release said. http://atsh.org/news/cfg.html A DAY AT THE OPERA ... AND THE NEXT ACT Joseph Cohen became a caregiver five years ago. As he and his wife, Sonia, left New York's Metropolitan Opera House, Sonia's right leg gave way, she experienced a brief spell of confusion and said her right arm was numb. In "Notes of a Stroke Survivor," the Cohens tell how they coped with the stroke and its aftermath. Their story contains tips both practical and abstract. Their story is the latest addition to our Profiles in Caregiving section. We welcome your contributions. Send them to [log in to unmask] http://atsh.org/caregiv/strokes_01.html --- SEND THIS TO A FRIEND Please send a copy of our newsletter to a friend or colleague who would benefit from it. Simply use the "forward" button on your email program. TO SUBSCRIBE If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, you may enter your own free subscription by visiting http://atsh.org/newsltr/ Caregivers USA news is published by the Thou Shalt Honor Foundation. The editor is James R. Hood, who can be reached at [log in to unmask] All submissions are considered for publication. Anonymous emails are not read. Copyright (c) 2003, Thou Shalt Honor Foundation -------------------------------------------------------- If you do not wish to continue to receive the "Thou Shalt Honor" newsletter, click on the link below or type the address as it appears in the URL link of your browser: http://www.atsh.org/newsletter/unsubscribe.php?uid=q3c50b9b86b99f -------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn