The Columbus Dispatch: Suicides in nursing homes hard to track, prevent
Suicides among older adults remain disturbingly high despite improved screening and treatment for depression. And although there is growing awareness about suicide, the one area in which it is less documented, not very well understood and much more hidden is in nursing homes, advocates say. — Encarnacion Pyle (Feb. 22)
Grist: Mountaintop removal country’s mental health crisis
The physical health tragedies of mountaintop removal mining towns have been deeply, grimly reported elsewhere… You have heard the stories of what the king has done to the land, the towns, the body. Now we are beginning to learn something new: He is also at work on the mind. — Clayton Aldern (Feb. 17)
The Guardian: How the disability voting bloc could swing the 2016 election
RespectAbility is one group that’s hoping to promote voting in the disability community with outreach on these issues. The group is surveying and educating candidates on disability issues and conveying responses to disabled voters and other interested parties. Their hope, as with other disability activists, is to increase voter participation and push candidates to do better on disability issues. — S.E. Smith (Feb 15)
Modern Healthcare: Virtual reality — More insurers are embracing telehealth
Looking ahead, telehealth advocates and providers see seniors on Medicare as the next major arena for growth. Roughly 1 in 5 people older than 65 live outside of a metropolitan area, and seniors usually have worse access to primary-care physicians and specialists if they live in rural areas. Many older adults in urban and suburban areas also face difficulties traveling to their doctors’ offices for frequent appointments. — Bob Herman (Feb. 20)
The New York Times: Governors Devise Bipartisan Effort to Reduce Opioid Abuse
Alarmed at an epidemic of drug overdose deaths, the National Governors Association decided over the weekend to devise treatment protocols to reduce the use of opioid painkillers. The guidelines are likely to include numerical limits on prescriptions, or other restrictions, governors said. — Robert Pear (Feb. 21)
Stateline: Coverage for Autism Treatment Varies by State
Since 2001, 44 states have begun requiring some insurance plans to cover ABA for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. But the rules are all different, making for uneven coverage across states. The mandates don’t apply to those companies, often large, that insure their own workers. In some states, small businesses are not required to offer coverage. Depending on the state, coverage may be available to state employees, Medicaid recipients and people purchasing insurance in the marketplaces created under the Affordable Care Act. — Jen Fifield (Feb. 19)
BLOG: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, “New CBO Estimates Confirm: Social Security Benefits Are Modest”
Social Security benefits replace only about 40 percent of an average retiree’s recent earnings, new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates show. The actuaries at the Social Security Administration (SSA) find a similar result using a different technique. By either measure, Social Security benefits are not overly generous. — Paul N. Van de Water (Feb 18)
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