NPN benefitsBlog

Medicare Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration/ AoA

As part of U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt's focus on prevention, HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Josefina G. Carbonell has announced participation in a demonstration designed to help seniors stay healthy. Nine Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) programs and an Administration on Aging (AoA) Older Americans Act Information and Referral (I&R) program will participate in the Medicare Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration.

The CMS Medicare Senior Risk Reduction Demonstration is designed to evaluate whether health promotion and disease prevention programs currently offered by national private insurers and employers can be delivered by the Medicare program to encourage beneficiaries to engage in healthy lifestyles and practices that can help them maintain and improve their health and reduce the need for health care services for preventable illnesses, injuries, or complications.

Health & Human Services Publishes Strategic Plan FY 2007-2012

The U.S. Administration on Aging has informed the National PASS Network of its publication of the HHS Strategic Plan FY 2007-2012. This document provides a comprehensive overview of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Service's priorities and activities for the next five years, and highlights the significant role the U.S. Administration on Aging is playing within the department to improve the health and well-being of older people and their family caregivers.

HHS Releases New Health Literacy Tool for Professionals Who Serve Older Adults

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has told NPN this morning that the agency has released a new health literacy tool for people who serve older adults. The Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults is designed to provide useful strategies and suggestions to professionals who work with older adults to help bridge the communication gap between professionals and older adults.

In a national assessment of health literacy, only three percent of the older adults surveyed were found to be proficient in health literacy. Persons with limited health literacy have more adverse health outcomes including less frequent use of preventive services, higher hospitalization rates, and more emergency room visits. For older Americans, difficulties with health literacy can complicate already challenging health problems since as many as 80 percent of older Americans have at least one chronic disease.

20% Can't Get Health Care in US

20% of Americans cannot afford health care, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention