New HHS Office On Disability
July 31, 2002 - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the creation of the HHS Office on Disability to oversee the coordination, development and implementation of programs and special initiatives within HHS that impact people with disabilities.

HHS Announces Immunization Initiative
July 31, 2002 - HHS Deputy Secretary Claude A. Allen today announced a new adult immunization initiative to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in influenza and pneumococcal vaccination coverage for adults 65 years of age and older.

Many Older Americans Outlive Driving Privilege
July 30, 2002 - As people live longer and older drivers give up their driving privileges, new modes of transportation will be needed. The issue could become a critical one as America ages, according to a new study, which finds older men and women who outlive their ability or willingness to drive may be dependent on alternative transportation for more than a decade in later life.

NIH Licenses New MRI Technology
July 2002 - A new technology that allows physicians and researchers to make detailed, three-dimensional maps of nerve pathways in the brain, heart muscle fibers, and other soft tissues has been licensed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

HHS, NCSL Release Report On State Long-Term Care Policy
July 29, 2002 - The HHS-funded report, prepared by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), shows many states are adopting innovative approaches to addressing their residents' long-term care needs even as they face tight budgets.

Full Circle of Care
July 2002 - An intergovernmental site in North Carolina, this is the best State web site we've seen for family caregivers. Most of the information offered will be useful for caregivers anywhere in the United States.

Federal Employees Long-Term-Care Insurance Program
July 2002 - Earlier this month, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management embarked on a six-month open season and education campaign for federal employees, members of the uniformed services and others in the "federal family" who want to learn about and apply for coverage under the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program.

Medicare Acts to Protect Coverage for Homebound Beneficiaries
July 29, 2002 - The Medicare program today took action that will provide reassurance to chronically disabled homebound Medicare beneficiaries that they can continue to receive home health care even if they leave their homes for special non-medical purposes.

Medicare Announces Increase in Nursing Home Payments
July 26, 2002 - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today announced a 2.6 percent increase in payments to skilled nursing facilities for fiscal year 2003. The increase will result in nearly $400 million more in payments to nursing facilities.

FDA Approves Treatment for Women with One Form of  Irritable Bowel Syndrome
July 24, 2002 - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the approval of Zelnorm tablets (tegaserod maleate). This drug is the first to receive FDA-approval for short-term treatment of women with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) whose primary bowel symptom is constipation. The safety and effectiveness of Zelnorm in men have not been established.

Eligibility for DoD's Medicare Wraparound Coverage
July 2002 - Since the implementation last year of expanded pharmacy and medical benefits  under TRICARE Senior Pharmacy and TRICARE For Life, many Medicare-eligible  uniformed services beneficiaries, age 65 and over, now have a more robust health care benefit.

Evaluating Health Information On The World Wide Web
July 2002 - From the SPRY Foundation. This guide helps to evaluate the health information you find on the World Wide Web and gives you the tools to assess the reliability of any health web site on your own. Try the HTML version.

New Life Expectancy Tables For Figuring Retirement Distributions
July 22, 2002 - The IRS has put its new life expectancy tables into a separate publication. They generally provide for smaller annual distributions, so participants may keep more funds in their tax-deferred retirement plans. Publication 590 SUPP, “Supplement to Publication 590, Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs),” is more convenient for taxpayers who want to use the new distribution rules this year. For 2002, taxpayers have the option of using the new life expectancy tables or the tables in the existing Publication 590.

What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen
July 18, 2002 - Start by visiting the Federal Trade Commission page on Identity Crisis. This is just one of many Publications for Seniors on the FTC site. Then read the FTC testimony today on Identity Theft provided to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

GovBenefits
 July 18, 2002 - Are there government benefit programs available to help you?  GovBenefits will help you answer that question. The online screening tool is free, easy-to-use, and completely confidential.

Increased Risk Of Ovarian Cancer Is Linked To Estrogen Replacement Therapy
July 17, 2002 - Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have found that women in a large study who used estrogen replacement therapy after menopause were at increased risk for ovarian cancer.  The report was published in the July 17, 2002, issue of JAMA.

Heat Advisory for Older Citizens
July 17, 2002 - In case you missed our earlier note, here's our annual heat advice for older citizens.

Panel Calls for Greater Attention to Cancer Patients' Pain, Depression, and Fatigue
July 17, 2002 - Evidence suggests that pain is often under treated, despite the availability of effective interventions.

Elderhostel for a Learning Travel Experience
July 2002 - Elderhostel is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing extraordinary learning adventures for people 55 and over.

Travel Warnings on State Department Site
July 2002 - Are you planning to travel to Kazakhstan this summer, maybe Argentina? Check the latest travel advisories on the State Department Travel Warnings & Consular Information web page.

Consumer Protection & the Elderly
July 2002 - The advent of telecommunications has increased public interest in government intervention and protection against unscrupulous business practices. This Administration on Aging web site offers comprehensive information about consumer fraud and the elderly.

HHS Awards $10 Million to Expand Alzheimer’s Disease Demonstrations
July 17, 2002 - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced more than $10 million in grants to develop innovative approaches to provide care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and support for their family caregivers.

'Six-Pack Abs' Electronically?
July 17, 2002 - You've probably seen the ads on television that promise "six-pack abs" without a workout. Can you really tone your muscles using an electrical muscle stimulator while lounging around the pool like the models on TV? Not quite, according to this FDA Consumer Magazine article.

HHS Issues Report on Medical Innovation and Seniors
July 11, 2002 - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today released a new report highlighting the importance of medical innovation and new technology, especially new drugs, in helping seniors live longer and healthier lives. The report highlights advances in disease treatment and prevention as key factors improving health for older Americans.

CMS Reports 1998 Health Care Spending in the States
July 10, 2002 - Per-person spending for health care services by Americans and their public and private health plans varied by nearly $2,000 from state to state in 1998, according to a report by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published today in the journal Health Affairs.

Warning on Hormone Replacement Therapy
July 9, 2002 - The National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday. that years-long use of estrogen and progestin increased otherwise healthy women's risk of a stroke by 41 percent, a heart attack by 29 percent and breast cancer by 24 percent.

New Sugar Substitute Approved
July 8, 2002 - FDA has approved neotame, a new general-purpose sweetener for use in a variety of food products including baked goods, non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gums, and frozen desserts.  Neotame is 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.

"Power Nap" Prevents Burnout; Morning Sleep Perfects a Skill
July 8, 2002 - Evidence is mounting that sleep -- even a nap -- appears to enhance information processing and learning. 

Device Uses Engineered Protein To Treat Back Disorder
July 8, 2002 - FDA has approved the first device that uses a genetically engineered human protein for use in the lower region of the spine to treat degenerative disc disease, a major cause of back pain for many adults.

HHS Awards $4.5 Million for Senior Medicare Patrol Projects
July 3, 2002 - HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the award of $4.5 million to programs that train retired professionals to help older Americans become better health care consumers, help identify and prevent billing errors and potential fraud.