Senior Care News

Senior care covers the services that older adults rely on beyond a doctor's visit: home health care, skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, long-term care, hospice, caregiving support and the technology that helps people age safely at home. These services are financed through a mix of Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care insurance and personal savings, and the rules for each are different.

What We Cover

This section covers news from home health and home care agencies, nursing homes and senior living providers, long-term care financing, caregiver programs, and advocacy organizations such as AARP. We also report on programs from health plans that address the needs of older members, including food insecurity, transportation, social isolation and in-home monitoring.

Who Pays for Senior Care

A common misunderstanding is that Medicare pays for long-term care. Original Medicare covers short-term skilled nursing and home health care under specific conditions, but it does not pay for long-term custodial care, the help with daily activities such as bathing and dressing that many older adults eventually need. Medicaid is the largest public payer of long-term care for people who qualify, and some Medicare Advantage plans now offer limited supplemental benefits for in-home support.

For coverage details, see our Medicare and Medicaid and CHIP sections. Provider news from hospitals and post-acute care appears in Hospitals and Health Systems, aging-in-place technology appears in Health Technology and AI, and research on conditions such as Alzheimer's disease appears in Public Health and Research.

The latest senior care news appears below, newest first.

Medline Industries, Inc. and Strategic Healthcare Programs Partner to Drive Improved Outcomes and Costs for Home Health

Posted on June 30, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: Medline Industries, Inc.

New Data Solution Helps Providers Select Optimum Wound Care Treatment for Key Diagnoses

MUNDELEIN, IL–(Marketwire – June 30, 2010) – To help homecare providers improve patient outcomes and comply with the federal government’s new regulations on data collection and implementing best practices, Medline Industries, Inc., and Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) are together providing a cutting edge solution-based reporting and benchmarking system. The state-of-the-art automated program recognizes specific diagnosis codes in patient records and suggests best-practices supplies and interventions to achieve improved patient outcomes.

Medline and SHP developed this revolutionary best practices technology to help homecare providers comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) new Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS-C) and to improve the agencies’ publicly reported scores on Home Health Compare. Patients reap the benefit of better treatment, decreased wound healing time, and reduction in pain. All of these, in turn, improve the providers’ scores while decreasing costs.

“We have developed a program that not only shows home health agencies where their problems exist, but how to fix them with the right products and treatment,” said Mike Lee, president of Medline’s Homecare Division.

Medline leverages SHP’s real-time reporting capabilities and automated data interfaces with the industry’s software vendors; and then transmits its patient-specific medical supply order data to SHP. Home health agencies receive SHP’s real-time email notifications alerting them to issues that require immediate attention. If the supply orders do not match best practice recommendations, action can be taken. SHP drill-down reports also identify the specific clinician that is delivering care; thereby allowing for targeted education and increased accountability.

“Our data indicate that proper management of wounds continues to be both a clinical and financial challenge to healthcare providers. Evidence-based best practices programs such as this are the solution to improving the situation. The patient, provider and payer all benefit in this scenario. This is disease management at its best,” said Barbara Rosenblum, Founder and CEO of SHP.

About Medline Industries, Inc.
Medline, the nation’s largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended-care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Headquartered in Mundelein, Ill., Medline has more than 900 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.

Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 450 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.

About Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP)
Strategic Healthcare Programs (SHP) is an award-winning innovator in real-time decision support tools that immediately improve patient outcomes and protect financial performance. SHP uses best-of-breed technology and data architecture that enables instant deployment of continuous product enhancements to its clients. SHP is the undisputed industry innovator having pioneered real-time benchmarks, data interfaces, risk modeling, on-demand reporting, pushed alerts, integrated patient satisfaction (HHCAHPS), clinician scorecards, gross profit comparisons, RAC surveillance, telehealth data, and disease management programs. SHP is the industry’s only one-stop source for data, spanning all post-acute business lines.

Medline Media Contacts:
John Marks
(847) 643-3309

Jerreau Beaudoin
(847) 643-3011

Healthnostics, Inc. Retires 90 Million Outstanding Shares

Posted on June 30, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: Healthnostics, Inc.

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – June 30, 2010) – Healthnostics, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: HNSS), a medical and biotechnology analytics company, announced that in addition to its recent investment in a medical manufacturing company, it has invested in the repurchase of 90 million shares of its common stock in a private transaction, thereby reducing the actual issued and outstanding shares to 305,857,509. Of this total, the approximately 39 million shares which are not closely held are traded in the public market. These shares constitute the public float.

Both the investment in an ongoing acquisition and the investment in the repurchase of shares will have the immediate effect of increasing shareholder equity through significantly enhanced earnings per share.

About Healthnostics

Healthnostics, Inc. is a medical and biotechnology analytics company that provides comprehensive patient clinical monitoring and risk management systems to acute care hospitals and utilizes its Internet portals to deliver medical and biotechnology resource information to industry professionals as well as to the general public. Healthnostics’ major products include: MedGuardian, a patient care monitoring and risk management system for hospitals that is fully Web-based; and through the MedBioWeb subsidiary, MedBioWorld™, one of the largest professional medical and biotechnology directory resource and reference portal sites on the Internet, and FamilyMedicalNet, a companion consumer healthcare information portal.

For further information please visit Healthnostics www.healthnostics.com, MedBioWorld www.medbioworld.com, and FamilyMedicalNet www.familymedicalnet.com.

And visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Healthnostics.

This press release may contain certain statements that are not descriptions of historical information, but are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements refer to matters that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements reflect management’s current views and are based on certain assumptions. Actual results could differ materially from the assumptions currently anticipated.

Contact:
Alan Grofe
P. 703-754-7126
[email protected]

AdCare Health Systems Prices Offering of $6.0 Million of Common Stock

Posted on June 30, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: AdCare

SPRINGFIELD, OH–(Marketwire – June 30, 2010) – AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ADK), an Ohio-based long-term care, home care and management company, has priced a public offering of 1,714,286 shares of its common stock at $3.50 per share. AdCare expects to receive net proceeds of approximately $5.5 million from the sale of the common stock. AdCare has granted a 30-day option to the underwriter to purchase up to an additional 15% or 257,143 shares to cover over-allotments. The offering is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close on Friday, July 2, 2010.

AdCare plans to use the net proceeds of the offering for acquisition purposes, working capital and general corporate purposes. C.K. Cooper & Company is acting as the sole manager for the public offering.

The offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 4, 2010, which became effective on June 23, 2010. The offering will be made by a prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus, copies of which have been filed with the SEC.

Copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or from C.K. Cooper & Company, 18300 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 700, Irvine, California 92612, Attention: Hue Lapham/Syndicate Department, or [email protected], or via fax +1-949-477-9211.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Any such offer may be made only pursuant to the company’s prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus for the offering and only in states in which the offering is registered or exempt from registration and by broker-dealers authorized to do so. The securities offered by the prospectus involve a high degree of risk.

About AdCare Health Systems
AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ADK) develops, owns and manages assisted living facilities, nursing homes and retirement communities and provides home healthcare services. Prior to becoming a publicly traded company in November of 2006, AdCare operated as a private company for 18 years. AdCare’s 900 employees provide high-quality care, management services and other services for patients and residents residing in 19 facilities, seven of which are assisted living facilities, 11 skilled nursing centers and one independent senior living community. The company owns eight of those facilities. In the ever-expanding marketplace of long-term care, AdCare’s mission is to provide quality healthcare services to the elderly. For more information about AdCare, visit www.adcarehealth.com.

Safe Harbor Statement
Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal law. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to management, and involve known and unknown risks, results, performance or achievements of the company which may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such factors are identified in the public filings made by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission and include the company’s ability to secure lines of credit and/or an acquisition credit facility, find suitable acquisition properties at favorable terms, changes in the health care industry because of political and economic influences, changes in regulations governing the industry, changes in reimbursement levels including those under the Medicare and Medicaid programs and changes in the competitive marketplace. There can be no assurance that such factors or other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements.

AdCare Health Systems Proposes Offering of Common Stock

Posted on June 29, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: AdCare

SPRINGFIELD, OH–(Marketwire – June 29, 2010) – AdCare Health Systems, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ADK), an Ohio-based long-term care, home care and management company, intends to offer shares of its common stock in an underwritten public offering. C.K. Cooper & Company is acting as the sole manager for the public offering.

AdCare plans to use the net proceeds of the offering for acquisition purposes, working capital and general corporate purposes.

AdCare previously filed a registration statement, together with the accompanying base prospectus, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 4, 2010, which became effective on June 23, 2010. Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objectives, risks and expenses of AdCare before investing. The base prospectus contains certain information about AdCare and should be read carefully before investing. A prospectus supplement describing the particular terms of the offering will be filed with the SEC and will form a part of the effective registration statement. When available, copies of the prospectus supplement and accompanying base prospectus may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or from C.K. Cooper & Company, 18300 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 700, Irvine, California 92612, Attention: Hue Lapham/Syndicate Department, or [email protected], or via fax +1-949-477-9211.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Any such offer may be made only pursuant to the company’s prospectus for the offering and only in states in which the offering is registered or exempt from registration and by broker-dealers authorized to do so. The securities offered by the prospectus involve a high degree of risk.

Company Contacts
David A. Tenwick, Chairman
AdCare Health Systems, Inc.
Tel (740) 549-0400
Email: Email Contact

Chris Brogdon
Vice Chairman and Chief Acquisitions Officer
AdCare Health Systems, Inc.
Tel (937) 964-8974
Email: Email Contact

Investor Relations
Ron Both or Geoffrey Plank
Liolios Group, Inc.
Tel (949) 574-3860
Email: Email Contact

Long Term Care Facilities Face Uncertain Future

Posted on June 29, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: MarketResearch.com

ROCKVILLE, MD–(Marketwire – June 29, 2010) – MarketResearch.com has announced the addition of Kalorama Information’s new report “Long Term Care Market: Nursing Homes, Home Care, Hospice Care, and Assisted Living,” to their collection of Home Healthcare market reports. For more information, visit http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?ProductID=2578516

Kalorama Information publishes its third edition of this detailed report on the long term care industry at a time of growth but also change and concern for the long term care industry. The economy has challenged the business strategies of key players, while the recent healthcare legislation introduces changes that may affect revenues. These twin challenges are addressed in The Long-Term Care Market: Nursing Homes, Home Care, Hospice Care, and Assisted Living The report provides an in-depth examination of the market for long-term care today. The following segments are broken out in detail: This report covers the most important segments of the long term care industry, each of which provide medical care and/or assistance with the activities of daily living (ADLs) on an ongoing basis:

Nursing care;
Home Care;
Hospice Care;
Assisted Living.

Excluded are markets that address temporary care needs such as physical or mental rehabilitation. Residential living programs and facilities that do not generally provide care such as retirement communities.

For each of the segments of long term care the report provides:

Market Size and Forecast
Number of Facilities/Providers and Growth Trends
Patient Statistics
Forms of Payment and Reimbursement Levels
Trends Affecting the Marketplace
Competitors and Competitive Analysis

Sales estimates for each market segment represent U.S. revenues and are expressed in current dollars. Estimates are provided for the historic 2005 to 2009 period and forecasts are provided through 2015.

As part of the report’s analysis of the state of the industry, the report covers the Recent Healthcare Reform and its Impact on Nursing Homes and the Effects of the Economy. Other issues and trends discussed in the report include:

Medicare & Health Care Reform
Patient Dumping
Quality of Care
Federal Quality Improvement Initiatives
State Quality Improvement Initiatives
Legal Actions
Safety
Aging of the Population
Marital and Living Arrangements
Geographic Concentrations
Certification and Accreditation
Fees and Payment
Long Term Care Insurance
Cost of Coverage and Affordability
Staffing and Human Resources
Building of New Facilities

Historical information for this report was gathered from a wide variety of published sources including company reports and filings, government documents, legal filings, trade journals, newspapers and business press, analysts’ reports and other sources. Interviews with company representatives were conducted to capture the perspectives from industry participants’ point of view and assess trends, and form the basis of the forecasting and competitive analysis.

As part of its coverage of the industry, the following long term care companies were profiled in this report:

Apria Healthcare Group Inc./ Blackstone Group
Brookdale Senior Living
Emeritus Corporation
Extendicare, Inc.
Genesis Healthcare
Golden Living
Manor Care, Inc.
Sun Healthcare Group Inc.
Sunrise Senior Living Inc.

For more information, visit http://www.marketresearch.com/product/display.asp?ProductID=2578516.

Contact:
Sean Snyder
MarketResearch.com
[email protected]
240.747.3076

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Uni-Ter Names Vilches VP-Marketing

Posted on June 28, 2010 Written by Editor

SOURCE: Uni-Ter Underwriting Management Corp.

ATLANTA, GA–(Marketwire – June 28, 2010) – Armando L. Vilches, CPCU, a sales executive with 25 years of experience in property/casualty insurance, has joined Uni-Ter Underwriting Management Corporation as Vice President-Marketing, Nadeene Wood-Clater, Senior Vice President-Marketing, announced.

Vilches spent 20 years with the Willis Insurance Group and its subsidiary Stewart Smith where he was named the Company’s Most Valuable Producer in 2000. As Nashville Marketing Manager, he led a team that placed $250 million in commercial premium.

“Armando has an outstanding track record marketing and underwriting all lines of liability insurance. He will be a valuable addition to the Uni-Ter team as the Company grows,” Wood-Clater said.

Vilches will work in marketing and new business development for Lewis & Clark LTC RRG, Inc., provider of liability insurance to long-term care facilities and nurses nationwide and Ponce de Leon LTC RRG, Inc. that writes liability insurance for long-term care facilities in Florida. He will work also on new business development for J.M. Woodworth Risk Retention Group, Inc., medical malpractice insurance writer in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Vilches is a graduate of DePaul University. He holds the CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) Designation and is a recognized speaker on risk management and liability insurance.

Learn more about Uni-Ter at www.uni-ter.com.

Media contact:
Mechlin Moore
MDM Communications
239-777-1595
Email Contact

Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre: Emergency Medical Assistance Team Deployed for G8 Summit

Posted on June 26, 2010 Written by Editor

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(Marketwire – June 26, 2010) – The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has deployed Ontario’s Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT) to support capacity at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital site of Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare. In anticipation of the many visitors expected in the region, the ministry has been working with the North Simcoe Muskoka Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) and local health service providers in the Simcoe-Muskoka region for over a year to develop plans to ensure there are minimal disruptions during the G8 summit.

The EMAT is funded by the ministry and is operated by the Sunnybrook-Osler Centre for Prehospital Care (SOCPC), a division of Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

“The EMAT is providing additional critical care capacity in the region as part of a comprehensive health care plan to support the needs of this community”, said Robert Burgess, SOCPC Senior Director.

The EMAT mobile field hospital has been erected directly adjacent to the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital.

The Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT)

Backgrounder

Q1. What is the Emergency Medical Assistance Team (EMAT)?

The EMAT is a part of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s (the ministry) health emergency response program and is an important component of Ontario’s overall emergency response capacity. The EMAT is funded by the ministry and is operated by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. The EMAT is a 56-bed mobile field hospital that may be deployed by the ministry within 24-hours to any road-accessible community in Ontario. The unit provides the capacity to provide ongoing treatment for up to 20 acute care and 36 intermediate care patients and/or a staging and triage base for patients prior to transporting them to acute care hospitals and is medically self-sustainable (supplies, equipment, power, and personnel) for 72 hours.

Q2. What kind of health emergency response services does the EMAT provide?

The EMAT has the capacity to provide ongoing treatment for up to 20 acute care and 36 intermediate care patients and/or triage. The EMAT has expertise in: patient isolation in the case of an infectious disease outbreak; the provision of medical support and first receiver cold zone decontamination in the case of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incidents; and assisting with managing patients in a mass casualty situation. If any jurisdiction in Ontario finds that it does not have the capacity to respond effectively to a health incident or emergency, the EMAT may be deployed to support the local health system.

Q3. How is the EMAT staffed?

The EMAT uses on-call professional health care providers from across the province who volunteer to work on the EMAT. Team members come from a variety of locations so that no single area is without vital health human resources at any given time. There are approximately 90 members including physicians, nurses, critical and advanced care paramedics and social workers, who are specially trained through the EMAT in health emergency management and response. Once the EMAT is activated, on-call volunteer workers are alerted and transported to the emergency site.

Q4. Who determines when the EMAT is deployed?

Deployment is based on an established set of criteria, including an immediate assessment of the local health care system’s ability to respond to the incident/ emergency, the availability of accommodations, water and food supplies for the EMAT volunteer workers, and an assessment of the emergency site (e.g., safety assessment for the mobile unit and EMAT volunteer workers). To deploy the EMAT, the local hospital and/or health system contacts the ministry with the initial request for EMAT support. If the situation meets the criteria, the ministry activates the EMAT.

Q5. How is the EMAT trained?

The EMAT team has the appropriate training and skills to function as a team in a health emergency environment involving infectious diseases outbreaks, natural disasters, CBRN, and mass causality incidents. The EMAT team trains regularly through full-scale exercises, which involve the participation of local health care organizations, and may also include local police, fire and ambulance services, as well as local municipalities.

Q6. What is the EMAT’s role at the G8?

The EMAT is a mobile field hospital that has been deployed to the G8 in Huntsville, ON to support capacity for the Huntsville hospital. It is onsite as part of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s work to ensure there is capacity for care for all patients.

15 Ways to Take Care of Your Elderly Parents

Posted on August 2, 2009 Written by Editor

US News and World Report Health has a great article about caring for elderly parents. They say that there are fifteen ways:

“The first step toward avoiding such baptism by fire is to acknowledge you’ll most likely take on caregiving responsibilities someday. According to the Family Caregiver Alliance, the number of “unpaid family caregivers” is set to reach 37 million by 2050, an 85 percent increase from the year 2000. You can help your parents stay happily independent as long as possible if you start those tough conversations now and do some thorough preparation. Here’s a game plan.”

15 Ways to Take Care of Your Elderly Parents:
1-5: Preparing the Home
6-8: Safeguarding Their Health and Safety
9-12: Protecting Their Finances
13-15: Keeping Them Socially Connected

1. Consider hiring a pro

2. Keep track with technology. Helping your parents remain in their home may be realistic but typically requires at least a few adjustments to keep them comfortable and safe.

3. Remove booby traps. The National Association of Home Builders has certified aging-in-place specialists who can consult and make structural changes.

4. Visit frequently. The time together matters, plus you’ll have a better sense of whether they’re safe, mentally sound, and in the best living situation, says Alexis Abramson, author of The Caregiver’s Survival Handbook.

5. Anticipate expenses

6. Work with the pharmacy. “Poor medication management is the No. 1 reason for leaving an independent living situation and going into supervised care,” says Elinor Ginzler, coauthor of Caring for Your Parents: The Complete AARP Guide.

7. Get help behind the wheel. One of the messiest challenges for adult children and their parents to navigate is the driving question..

8. Draw up the documents.

Related Coverage

For more reporting on this topic, see our Senior Care news hub.

Investing in Healthcare Recruiting – Risks and Opportunities

Posted on August 9, 2008 Written by Editor

Hospitals and healthcare are definitely on the reliable growth pace. Current industry trend is really reverse to what you would expect, being new to this sector – this is shortage of nurses and medical professionals, meaning that it is rather challenge to find certified applicants, and not really to get new contracts from healthcare organizations. This trends requires the investors to look at healthcare staffing agency from the perspective of its popularity among nurses community – getting nurses opinions on which company is “better” – in the senses of being more friendly, offering better conditions, including faster paychecks issuance. As medical staffing companies actually sells services in the form of recruiting fees, plus W2 services to their medical temps – you should feel the nature of the risks and the opportunities: they are at the management experience, passion and competence side, not in real material assets, such as plants, production tools or even buildings. Let’s try to see the pro and contra arguments:

1. Economy Cycles: Booms and Recessions – healthcare is always in demand, so it should be considered stable and not really exposed to economy cycling. This statement might be considered as a trend, however some companies will suffer from bad economy, but in our opinion mostly due to the recession “atmosphere”.

2. US population “aging” – this is similar to what was long times seen in Europe and Japan, where immigration offset (or even new young immigrants inflow reversed the aging process) was not as active as in United States. Senior population requires more medicine attention and potentially will increase the workload for healthcare staffing organizations, who supply hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities with nurses and medical doctors.

3. Baby Boomers “contribution”. It is believed to be a factor and it should begin its population aging contribution, in the sense that baby boomers will approach retirement age in five-ten years from now. Maybe it is over estimated, however as new population is growing due to current high rate of immigration into US.

4. Healthcare placement competition is rising. Still, we see large number of privately owned recruiting firms, who are strong on the local and sub-regional markets, so the best way to grow is merges and acquisitions, it is not a good time for new operations launching in the regions. Obviously it is too optimistic to predict that all of these healthcare staffing firms will be absorbed by public healthcare placement providers, however the trends are out there.

5. Sun belt states syndrome. Retiring population has a trend to sell their mortgage paid single family houses in New England, New York, Illinois, California and other mid-west or northern states and move down to Florida, Texas, Georgia, Arizona, and others sun belts states, where they surge new medical nurse inflow.

Andrew Karasev is an independent technical writer for AudioStocks. Crdentia Corp. (CRDT.OB) http://www.crdentia.com 800.803.1777, is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare staffing services. Crdentia seeks to capitalize on an opportunity that currently exists in the healthcare industry by targeting the critical Nursing, Physician and Allied Health shortage issue. Crdentia has locations in the following states: Alabama: Birmingham, Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson, North Carolina: Charlotte, Texas: Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Odessa, Lubbock, Temple, Austin. Author opinion is personal and may not coincide with the company official policy, author agrees with free press rules and article free republishing rights.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/737326

AMERIGROUP Adds 3 Executives with Healthcare and Government Experience to Team

Posted on June 24, 2008 Written by Editor

AMERIGROUP Corporation (NYSE:AGP) has appointed three senior executives to three key senior management positions within AMERIGROUP Corporation.

Steven B. Larsen has been named Senior Vice President for State Government Relations; Tunde Sotunde, M.D., has been named Chief Executive Officer of AMERIGROUP Community Care of Georgia; and Robert A. Wychulis has been named Chief Executive Officer of AMERIGROUP Community Care of New York. [Read more…]

AARP Announces Next Steps on Medicare Bill

Posted on June 12, 2008 Written by Editor

Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s Executive Vice President of Social Impact, has recently announced the Association’s next round of activity to encourage the enactment of the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

After having been passed by both chambers of Congress with veto-proof margins, the bill now sits with the President. Administration officials have indicated his intention to veto the bill.

“We’re hoping for the best and preparing for everything else,” said LeaMond. “We are not taking any signature or vote for granted. We’ve come too far in this campaign to let up at the end.”

Earlier today, AARP and its volunteers began reaching out to the White House encouraging the President’s signature of the bill. AARP CEO Bill Novelli is sending a letter to the White House asking the President to reconsider his intention to veto given the bill’s strong bipartisan support. The White House also received more than 45,000 emails on Friday from grassroots volunteers encouraging the President to sign the bill today.

AARP is also launching a national effort to thank the overwhelming bipartisan majority of Representatives and Senators who voted to pass the bill and ask them to continue their support in the event of a vote to override a presidential veto.

AARP’s activities early next week will include:

– Coordinated visits from constituents to Washington and district offices of the bill’s supporters;

– A national write-in effort from volunteers to opinion-leaders and news outlets;

– Ads placed in key outlets encouraging a veto override, if necessary; and

– Continued grassroots contacts to legislative offices.

Since launching its national Keep Medicare Fair campaign in April, AARP volunteers have sent more than 910,000 emails, phone calls, faxes and petition signatures to Congress in support of a bill to improve and protect Medicare.

“After months of debate on how to strengthen and protect Medicare, we finally have a bill that would improve low-income, prevention, and mental health programs, and boost health care quality through national e-prescribing,” added LeaMond. “We are confident and hopeful that this bill, which has earned broad bipartisan support, will become law.”

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world’s largest-circulation magazine with over 33 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP’s 39 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Related Coverage

For more reporting on this topic, see our Medicare news hub.