The headline on the UCHealth Today blog posting summed it up: “First FDA-approved drug offers both promise and challenges.” This was in reference to Leqembi (generic name: lecanemab), a drug designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
AARP reports that the names of the first 10 Medicare drugs whose prices the federal government will negotiate directly with manufacturers were released in late August. “It marks the first time in history that the price of life-sustaining medications that millions of older Americans in the nation’s largest health program
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a new voluntary nationwide model designed to support people living with dementia and their unpaid caregivers. It’s called GUIDE, which stands for Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience.
Hear about Dr. Jessica Schuman’s mobile optometry practice covering the Denver metro–Mile High Senior Eyecare and Margie Guerrieri of Novir–provider of onsite vaccination clinics, testing and screening, virtual proctoring, and other preventative care offerings to the aging population.
Colorado is joining a pilot program called Making Care Primary (MCP) that was announced by the federal Medicaid and Medicare programs. MCP is designed to offer primary care providers up-front reimbursements and additional resources in exchange for transitioning to value-based care.
The longer a person lives, the greater is the time span in which they may have had a traumatic experience that they never fully recovered from. Classic examples are traumas suffered in war, catastrophic car accidents, sustaining severe injuries in a natural disaster, being a victim of a violent crime, etc.
Pharmacist Gina Harper, clinical coordinator of pharmacy services for UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital, discussed in a UCHealth online posting reasons why patients would be wise to periodically review the prescriptions they are taking.
The American Hospital Association (AHA) says ACOs are groups of clinicians, hospitals and other health care providers who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high-quality care to a designated group of patients. Referring specifically to Medicare-related ACOs, the Association says, “Coordinated care seeks to ensure that patients, especially the chronically ill, get the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors.” …read more
In the area of mental health services for Coloradans, at least three forces are altering the landscape at once. One is the mandate that insurers must offer parity between mental and physical health coverage. Another is the severe ongoing shortage of mental health professionals to meet growing patient demand—including the increasing numbers of older Coloradans who are dealing with mental health challenges. And a third force is the emergence of various technology “substitutes” for patients to consult in lieu of seeing professional therapists in person.
Erin Emery, writing for the medical news hub UCHealth Today, confirms that anesthesiologists can find it more challenging to properly sedate patients who use marijuana—whether that be smoking, vaping, eating edibles or using tincture. The simple fact is marijuana can affect how anesthesia works. This is particularly true for chronic users, defined as those who use marijuana at least once a week.
…Despite the fact that research indicates up to 15% of people age 65 and older who live outside of nursing facilities have a diagnosable anxiety condition. An editorial in the journal JAMA Psychiatry stated only about one-third of seniors with anxiety disorders receive treatment. Which is concerning since such disorders can have links to stroke, adverse heart conditions, and neurodegenerative problems such as dementia. Other anxiety disorders in seniors can include phobias, panic disorder, social anxiety, hoarding, fear of falling, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Half of Us Will Be Diagnosed with a Mental Illness or Disorder at Some Point in our Lifetime. Watch this video and learn about many of the helpful mental health resources available to you and your family to help everyone age well, age wisely, in Colorado
In the latter half of 2022, many Coloradans became eligible for discounted medical care, thanks to a state legislative bill titled Health Care Billing Requirements for Indigent Patients. This bill established requirements for hospital discounted care for low-income patients. These patients have been given the opportunity to apply for financial assistance or charity care programs at the health care facility where they receive care.
Billing for hospital stays and other medical services has never been simple and clear for patients, and the picture has very often been made even murkier with what is known as “surprise billing” or “balance billing.” The names derive from what the happening literally is—i.e., an unexpected bill for an unexpected balance owed. The good news is that in the interest of protecting consumers, various measures have been enacted to rein in the extent of surprise billing by specifying when it can happen and when it cannot.
Learn about brain research for treating Alzheimer’s, Down Syndrome
—and the similarities and differences of those with Intellectual and
Developmental Disabilities, and others, and ideas for you to maintain
a healthy brain
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of talk therapy that can be an alternative to taking sleeping pills, antianxiety medications or antidepressants. It can also be used to complement medications when they are prescribed. Dr. Ava Schumacher is a Denver-based clinical health psychologist who works with people who are struggling with a variety of difficulties, including medical challenges,
A drug to effectively stop the advance of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in an affected person or actually cure one of it is one of the leading Holy Grails of modern
Learn about the physical, emotional, mental, and financial impacts of being a caregiver; the signs/symptoms of stress and
what you can do to reduce stress.
Disclaimer: The following article is for general information purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always discuss your individual circumstances with your trusted physicians and other caregivers. A study
In accordance with a Colorado legislative bill passed in 2019, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (DHCPF) is close to making it possible for Coloradans to access savings on drug costs by getting imported pharmaceuticals from Canada.
Is it safe for an individual private consumer to order this pricey drug from this source, even with a doctor’s bona fide prescription? The best answer is “it depends.”
