The latest casualty of the Great Recession may soon be the nation’s elderly. Cuts in government payments for patient care and less construction of new nursing homes are already taking a toll. Add to this the aging baby boom generation and you have a worst-case scenario.
Will it cover your needs? Can you pay for it? Can you afford not to have it?
Don’t buy if the out-of-pocket cost for the coverage would be more than you can afford. Policies differ greatly so know what you are buying. Shop around.
How doctors die (Hint: Not like the rest of us). Can vaccines end cancer? Newt Gingrich’s health-care heresies. Should your doctor take money from drug companies? — This week’s top stories.
96 percent responding that they believe enhancing the quality of life for seriously ill patients is more important than extending life as long as possible.
Every year more than 5 million people in the U.S. are treated in ICUs. For patients, family and friends, the ICU experience is often emotional and confusing. Here are some tips to help you cope.
Many of us are—or will become—a caregiver to a parent, spouse, child, or other loved one. Are there resources that can help us meet that challenge?
Programs aim to bring palliative care to emergency rooms where end-of-life wishes can be forgotten in the rush to provide treatment.
It’s about how we approach care.
Public screening of “Serving Life” a documentary about an extraordinary hospice program where hardened criminals care for their dying fellow inmates. Sunday, July 24th from 2:00 to 3:30PM. Free — but space is limited.
Many Washingtonians say it’s more important to enhance the quality of life for seriously ill patients than to extend their lives through every possible medical intervention, Seattle Times health reporter Carol Ostrom writes.
Is hospice being misused?. Although intended for terminal patients, one in five hospice patients receive services for more than six months.
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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