“If you’re getting older — or preparing to get older — knowing what’s happened in the past is important,” says Gail Collins. What’s happened? Well, throughout history, society’s views on older females have varied widely, even among women themselves, an… Continue reading
Have you ever wondered how pharmaceutical companies decide whether that pill you take costs $3 or $3,000? Or why some new drug, or a potentially life-enhancing procedure, may not be covered under your insurance plan? In the U.S., the Food and Drug Admi… Continue reading
Recently, an 88-year-old member of my family underwent elective spinal surgery for disabling back pain. While the duration of hospitalization for anyone after surgery can be unpredictable, we were surprised to find out our family member would be discha… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Around the time Sana Goldberg began nursing school, her grandfather had a serious, undetermined health problem. “I remember from the moment of entering the ER to the w… Continue reading
Each year when I visit my primary care physician for my annual physical, the first stop is his office, where we sit opposite one another for a few minutes. We begin with some small talk, which eases us into the next phase of the visit, which I dub “the… Continue reading
Some 85% of people over 60 use prescription drugs, according to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Yet, older people are not well represented in clinical trials, the gold standard for testing the safety and efficacy of medications, the N… Continue reading
(Editor’s note: This story is part of a series for The John A. Hartford Foundation.) Margaret Birt, then 62, had routine surgery in 2006. But in the recovery room, she had complete cardiac arrest. Initially in a vegetative state, Birt regained much of … Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) PORTLAND, Ore. — After nearly 40 years as an internist, Dr. Ron Naito knew what the sky-high results of his blood test meant. And it wasn’t good. But when he turned to his doctors last summer to… Continue reading
(This article appeared previously in Kaiser Health News.) PORTLAND, Ore. — After nearly 40 years as an internist, Dr. Ron Naito knew what the sky-high results of his blood test meant. And it wasn’t good. But when he turned to his doctors last summer to… Continue reading
Medicare covers most health care services, including preventative care. But as new users of the federal health insurance program soon find out, it typically does not cover routine dental, vision and hearing care. Medicare may cover some of these servic… Continue reading