Health Reform and Family Caregivers

Yesterday on Table Talk, Howard Bedlin, Vice President for Public Policy and Advocacy for the National Council on Aging (NCOA), joined us for a primer on how health reform will affect family caregivers and older adults. (You can listen to our show via the player at the bottom of the post.) A few highlights of the legislation: Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Provision (CLASS) creates a new national...

Got a Beef? Share at the White House Blog

Every day this week, the Obama Administration will share a “year in review” blog post from a senior advisor, followed up by an afternoon online video chat. Tomorrow (Wednesday, Jan. 13) at 12 p.m. EST, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will discuss Health Reform. To join the discussion or to learn more, please visit here. Related articles President Obama and Faith Leaders Discuss Health Reform on...

Keeping Track of Health Reform

We’ve gathered a few resources so you can stay abreast of health reform; we’ll add more as we find them: Trudy Lieberman has started a blog, Straight Talk, about health reform debate on the Columbia Journalism Review website.  Trudy directs the health and medical reporting program in the graduate school of journalism at City University of New York. Kaiser Health News has created A Consumer’s...

President Obama and Faith Leaders Discuss Health Reform

On Wednesday, August 19, at 5 p.m. ET, President Barak Obama joined faith leaders from across the country in a discussion about health reform. 40 Minutes for Health Reform hosted the show on BlogTalkRadio. A round-table talk took place during the first 30 minutes; President Obama participated during the last 10 minutes. You can listen to the show on the player,...

Ahhh…. ARGH! From Blueberry Waffles to a Physician’s Nonsense

I sat down to the breakfast table this morning with two waffles topped with butter, blueberries and syrup. The cranberry juice was straight-out-of-the-fridge cold. Ahhh… Life is good. I opened the front section of the Chicago Tribune, perusing page-by-page until I arrived to the Letters to the Editor section. Hmm… The debate over end-of-life discussions has hit the Opinion page. The catalyst was an...

We, Hopefully, Help Quiet the Rumbles

You’ve probably heard some rumblings about “death panels” that will be created if President Obama’s proposed health care reform becomes law. Dr. Bill Thomas, a geriatrician and pioneer in improving the quality of life for nursing home residents, created a video which explains the new benefit for end-of-life care discussions under Medicare if health care reform passes. (Editor’s Note:...

National Poll Indicates Broad Public Support for Long-Term Care Reform

Nearly eight in ten Americans are more likely to support a health care reform proposal that includes improved coverage for long-term care services A new survey released today shows that nearly 80% of people are more likely to support a health care reform proposal that improves coverage for long-term care services for seniors. Moreover, substantial majorities of Americans among all demographic groups, including...

Grassroots Efforts Next Week for Long-Term Services and Health Care Reform

The CCD Long-Term Services and Supports Task Force is working in collaboration with the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) on several joint grassroots efforts to ensure long-term services and supports are included in health care reform. 1.      National Call-In Day The Senate Special Aging Committee is holding a hearing on long-term services on March 4.  The hearing is being used as a...