a RyanCare

Posted on March 9, 2017

There are so many articles coming out right now trying to summarize RyanCare. I've gone straight to my favorite source for all things medical financing - the Kaiser Foundation. Their reports are well researched, and not slanted one way or the other. Just the facts. Here's their summary of RyanCare. Obviously, being from a...

Repeal & Replace of ObamaCare, a/k/a RyanCare

Posted on March 9, 2017

South Shore Residents May Be Eligible for Alzheimer’s PET Scans (IDEAS)

Posted on January 24, 2017

Beth Israel Deaconess-Plymouth is taking part in a study that uses PET scans to look for signs of Alzheimer's. It is called the Imaging Dementia—Evidence for Amyloid Scanning (IDEAS) Study. There are many different sources of dementia, for example Alzheimer's, vascular, and frontal lobe. Knowing which type of dementia a person...

Medicare Open Enrollment Season

Posted on October 21, 2016

Medicare Open Enrollment is happening now: it runs from October 15 to December 7. Now is the time to check whether your supplement and Part D plans are the right ones for you. For help with the research, you can visit www.medicare.gov and you can also make an appointment with the SHINE...

Which Hospital Must an Ambulance Take You To – Can You Demand a Specific Hospital?

Posted on February 13, 2014

The answer is – it depends. If there is an emergency and you are unable to express your wishes, even if you have advanced medical directives or a health care proxy in place, the Emergency Medical Technicians or Paramedics responding to the call are obligated to stabilize you and transport you to the nearest appropriate...

Heard at the Office: “Can’t My Spouse Automatically Speak for Me at the Hospital?”

Posted on January 30, 2014

Under the law, no. In real life, sometimes. Many people think that they don’t need to sign a Health Care Proxy because they assume that the law permits their spouse to speak for them in medical emergencies. The law actually says quite the opposite. Only you or someone you have...

MOLST – Getting Your End-of-Life Wishes into Your Doctor’s Orders

Posted on May 28, 2013

Massachusetts has recently enacted the MOLST program - that's Medical Orders on Life-Sustaining Treatment. This is a solution to a question that a lot of clients ask: "How do I make sure my kids do what I want with end-of-life care?" Or more typically, clients say, "I want a living will." ...

Department of Public Health Survey on Health Needs for People with Disabilities

Posted on May 20, 2013

This landed in my inbox. It took about 5 minutes to fill it out. Due date is May 31. Here are the details: Help influence health care in Massachusetts! The Health and Disability Program, part of Office of Health Equity at the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) is conducting a health...

The Nursing Home Stopped Medicare Payments Because my Loved One Stopped Improving, but I Heard that’s Illegal

Posted on January 3, 2013

For many years, Medicare has stopped paying for therapies or skilled care once the patient stopped improving, or plateaud. This is not what the regulations say, but somehow that became the practice across the country. In December, the good folks at the Medicare Advocacy Project fought and won against this trend, and a federal...

Has the Nursing Home Told You that Medicare Coverage is Ending Because the Patient is No Longer “Improving”?

Posted on December 27, 2012

Every day, families of nursing home patients are told that Medicare coverage will be ending in a day or two, because the patient is no longer “improving.” Well, that has never been what the Medicare regulations say, but somehow, that has become the common practice across the country. The good folks at the Medicare...