For the third time this year, some of Alaska’s seniors are going to see a change in their monthly benefit payments from the state.
Aging
Life Expectancy Study: It’s Not Just What You Make, It’s Where You Live
A study of Social Security and tax records says poor people live longer in some cities than in others, and it’s not clear why.
Alaska nursing home asks to serve seal oil to Native clients
State regulators in Alaska are working with a Native organization that wants to serve its nursing home residents seal oil, a traditional staple that’s banned in public settings because of its high risk for botulism. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation says it would grant an exemption to the Kotzebue-based Maniilaq Association if it can…
Elderly Inmates Burden State Prisons
Health care for aging prisoners costs far more than it does for younger ones, just as it does outside prison walls. Corrections departments across the country report that health care for older prisoners costs between four and eight times what it does for younger prisoners.
Doctors Ponder Delicate Talks As Medicare Pays For End-Of-Life Counsel
Physicians can now bill Medicare $86 for an office-based, end-of-life counseling session with a patient for as long as 30 minutes. Medicare has set no rules on what doctors must discuss during those sessions.
Aging Southeast: Pioneer homes can’t meet demand
Alaska’s pioneer homes have far fewer beds than needed to meet demand. The region and state’s rapidly-growing senior population means waitlists have grown longer and longer.