Daily Number: Hey, Big Spender - Pew Research Center

The public has long affirmed its desire to balance budgets and cut government spending in the aggregate to political pollsters, and Americans are quick to blame politicians for deficits (a November poll found 58% disapprove of the job President Obama has done handling the budget). However, if they were in charge where would members of the public start to cut? Asked "if you were making up the budget for the federal government this year" would you increase or decrease spending, and given a list of 14 programs, for only two would more than 20% of Americans decrease spending: economic assistance to needy people around the world and the State Department. For nine of the programs a plurality wants to increase government spending; for the other three, a plurality prefers to keep the spending level unchanged. This includes two programs that combined account for nearly half the federal budget: Medicare (53% increase spending, 6% decrease, 37% same) and defense (40% increase spending, 18% decrease, 37% same). Other government programs on which a plurality of Americans say they would increase spending include education (67%), veterans' benefits (63%), health care (61%), energy (41%), assistance for the unemployed (44%), combating crime (45%) and environmental protection (43%).

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New Finding May Foil Age-Related Muscle Loss

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from Medical News Today

If you're an aging baby boomer hoping for a buffer physique, there's hope. A team of American scientists from Texas and Michigan have made a significant discovery about the cause of age-related muscle atrophy that could lead to new drugs to halt this natural process. This research, available online in the FASEB Journal, shows that free radicals, such as reactive oxygen species, damage mitochondria in muscle cells, leading to cell death and muscle atrophy. Now that scientists understand the cause of age-related muscle loss, they can begin to develop new drugs to halt the process.

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Vitamin C Reverses Abnormalities Caused By Werner Syndrome Gene, Including Cancer, Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Failure And High Cholesterol

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from Medical News Today

A new research discovery published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal suggests that treatments for disorders that cause accelerated aging, particularly Werner's syndrome, might come straight from the family medicine chest. In the research report, a team of Canadian scientists show that vitamin C stops and even reverses accelerated aging in a mouse model of Werner's syndrome, but the discovery may also be applicable to other progeroid syndromes. People with Werner's syndrome begin to show signs of accelerated aging in their 20s and develop age-related diseases and generally die before the age of 50.

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Attacking Age-Related Macular Degeneration At The Molecular Level

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from Medical News Today

Researchers at University College London say they have gleaned a key insight into the molecular beginnings of age-related macular degeneration, the No. 1 cause of vision loss in the elderly, by determining how two key proteins interact to naturally prevent the onset of the condition.

In a paper to be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, the team reports for the first time how a common blood protein linked to the eye condition reins in another protein that, when produced in vastly increased amounts in the presence of inflammation or infection, can damage the eye.

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Hispanic Elderly More Likely Than Whites To Live In Inferior Nursing Homes

from Medical News Today

Hispanic senior citizens are living in nursing homes in ever-increasing numbers, but they face a gap in their quality of care compared to white residents, according to new research from Brown University.
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Technological Safety Net For Fall Prone Elderly

from Medical News Today

Falls are the main cause of injuries among elderly people, but until now doctors have had few ways of effectively monitoring and counteracting mobility problems among patients. Work by European researchers is set to change that.
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What Connects The Elderly And Sports People? Smart Sensor Technology

from Medical News Today Innovative smart sensing devices promise to boost mobility and quality of life for the elderly, reduce healthcare costs and even give sports people an edge through more effective training.
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Center on Budget and Policy Priorities Podcast: The Current Status of Health Reform

01-05-10-health-reform-final.mp3 (audio/mpeg Object)

TIME GOES BY | The Continuing Plot to Kill Social Security

by Ronni Bennett

Suppose a right-wing billionaire, who has never had to choose between paying the mortgage and feeding the kids, or has never foregone medical treatment due to lack of health coverage, wanted to kill Social Security and Medicare.

Now suppose that right-wing billionaire spent some of his fortune creating a “news agency” that would distribute stories supporting his pet project and hired a handful of seasoned reporters from respected news organizations.

Now further suppose that one of those respected news organizations published the agency's first piece as a normal news story.

That's what happened when the Washington Post, on 31 December, published Support Grows for Tackling Nation's Debt from The Fiscal Times news agency, funded by Nixon administration cabinet member and retired founder of the Blackstone Group, Peter G. Peterson. The “news story” promotes

“...legislation to create an 18-member task force consisting of 16 members of Congress and two administration officials. Under the proposal, if at least 14 of the panel members reached agreement on how to rein in skyrocketing spending on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and reform the tax code, Congress would have to consider it immediately and give it an up or down vote, without amendments.”

Peterson – and now, the Washington Post - blame Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security for the growing budget deficit with no mention that two wars and Wall Street bailouts may have contributed to the problem, and have decided to take the money out of the hides of old people.

What is so dangerous about this proposal is that it removes the only clout American citizens have with their federal legislators – the right to personally petition them.

Economist Dean Baker was the first to expose the Post's irresponsible “journalism” in his Beat the Press blog where he noted:

“No serious newspaper would publish a piece from an obviously interested party like the Peterson Foundation as a news story.”

Following Baker's expose, the Post published a “correction” on 5 January but only about the mis-attribution of a quote, still leaving the story bereft of any context in regard to Peterson's involvement in the attack on Medicare et al or his two-decade-long crusade to kill those programs.

It was up to The New York Times the same day to provide some of that context and extract this comment from the Post's executive editor, Marcus W. Brauchli:

“We wouldn't put anything in the paper that we didn't believe was independent journalism,” Brauchli told the Times. “We had complete editorial control. Our editors conceived the story. We asked if The Fiscal Times was interested in producing the story. We edited the story.”

That statement makes it even worse. There is not a citation for any “fact” in the story that is riddled with exaggerations, omissions and an outright fib or two. So much for the Post's journalism.

The next day, Wednesday, FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting) issued an Action Alert detailing the ideological agenda contained in the story and concluding:

“Far from 'unbiased journalism,' the Fiscal Times article reads like the smoothly written propaganda you'd expect to get from a well-funded lobbying outlet. The Post's 'partnership' with this outfit is an ill-advised experiment that ought to be brought to a swift conclusion.”

On the same day, journalist William Greider tackled the Washington Post's connection to Peterson with a righteous tirade against the paper and Peterson's regressive agenda, noting:

“He has flogged Social Security as a blight on our future for at least 20 years. He is a nut on the subject. His 'facts' are wildly distorted or simply not true. Never mind, the establishment press portrays him as a disinterested statesmen.”

Thirty-four Democratic and Republican senators support the legislation and, according to The Fiscal Times (non)story, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has “signaled” support and the White House is involved in talks about such legislation. (Or not; these are a dubious assertions without citation.)

This latest legislation (S.2853) was introduced by Senator Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) on 9 December 2009, and has a long list of co-sponsors, about a third of the entire Senate.
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Overlooking the Frail Years - The New Old Age Blog - NYTimes.com

By PAULA SPAN

“I have something I want to talk to you about,” Jonelle Patrick’s father said partway through a visit to her home in San Francisco. He put a box on the kitchen table.

Ms. Patrick wasn’t completely startled when he took out a manila envelope containing his updated will, trust documents, lists of lawyers and accountants — “lots of stuff having to do with disposition of his property.” Though her father was in good health at 75, she knew he had given some thought to his estate.

“Then he put all that aside and said, ‘Now here’s what I’d like for my memorial service,’” Ms. Patrick recalled. Out came photos and memorabilia to be displayed, a list of hymns to be sung, his written thoughts about a reception and a menu. He had assembled a sample obituary and the addresses of professional organizations and alumni publications that should receive it — “a level of detail I was really surprised by.” She assured him that of course she would implement his wishes.

It was only later Ms. Patrick realized that her father hadn’t said anything much about the time between his current vitality and his death. She didn’t know if he had ever signed a health care proxy or a power of attorney, documents that would allow someone to make decisions and take actions on his behalf if he became incapacitated. He had turned aside her questions about whether he would want to sell his house and move into assisted living if he were unable to care for himself at home.
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Old Age, New Gizmos - The New Old Age Blog - NYTimes.com

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By PAULA SPAN

When the vast Consumer Electronics Show, underway this week in Las Vegas, adds an exhibition called Silvers Summit, devoted to new products for the aging and their caregivers, brace yourselves. American tech companies, taking notice of the unmistakable demographic trends, have launched a surge.

“When you have a growing market segment, everybody wants a piece of the action,” said Majd Alwan, director of the Center for Aging Services Technologies, itself just six years old.

What’s coming?
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Health Insurance Exchanges in Health Care Reform: Legal and Policy Issues

The two health reform bills pending in Congress represent quite different understandings of what an exchange is, what it does, how it is organized, and how it functions. How those differences are resolved is likely to determine the extent to which the eventual exchanges accomplish their goals and whether they avoid the difficulties that have afflicted earlier attempts at creating and operating exchanges. This report describes design and function issues raised by exchanges, prior experience with exchanges, the provisions of the pending House and Senate bills that affect exchanges, and policy issues raised by the legislation.

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Cuts for elderly: more seniors to nursing homes, $1.37 million in federal funds lost | Wichitopekington | Wichita Eagle Blogs

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Cuts in state services for the aging could force hundreds of elderly Kansans out of their homes and into nursing institutions, officials said today.

The state Department on Aging announced that as of Jan. 15, it is cutting several services it provides through Home and Community Based Service waivers, including aides who stay with elderly people overnight and assistance in retrofitting homes for wheelchair accessibility.

The department will give up about $1.37 million in federal matching funds because it can no longer afford to pay the state’s share of $625,000 to provide the services, said spokeswoman Barb Conant.

The service cuts announced today include:

* Assistive technology support — a program that helps seniors obtain items such as wheelchair lifts and ramps, accessible toilets and bathtubs, and grab bars to help prevent falls.
* Sleep-cycle support — provides aides for seniors who need to have someone in their home during overnight hours.
* Comprehensive support — provides aides to assist seniors who are cognitively impaired with tasks such as reading mail, addressing letters and paying bills.
* Dental services — provides seniors with dental care to help them receive proper nutrition and avoid issues with breathing and pneumonia.

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Long-Term Health Care Services, Panel 1 - C-SPAN Video Library

The January 2010 edition of Health Affairs focused on the challenges of providing quality care to the disabled and aged. Health policy and aging experts talked about those challenges at an event hosted by Health Affairs. 8:30 a.m. Welcome and Introductions Susan Dentzer 8:35 a.m. Remarks Bruce Chernof, President and CEO, The SCAN Foundation 8:40 a.m. Remarks Constance M.Garner, Policy Director for Disability and Special Needs Populations, Senate HELP Committee 9:15 a.m. Panel I: Who is Getting and Delivering Care H. Stephen Kaye, Associate Adjunct Professor, Institute for Health and Aging, University of California San Francisco Carol Levine, Director, Families and Health Care Project, United Hospital Fund Robyn Stone, Executive Director, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging Q& A
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Illinois Race Foils Bid to Balance Books - WSJ.com

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By AMY MERRICK

Social-services agencies are worried about paying staff, and time is running short to address a huge budget deficit in Illinois amid a political fight between candidates in the race for governor.

The contest between Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and state Comptroller Daniel Hynes, Mr. Quinn's main rival in February's Democratic primary, offers a preview of what could happen across the U.S. in 2010, with many states facing major budget problems and 37 governors' seats up for election. Concerns about the political impacts of tough choices are likely to hinder the ability of governors and legislatures to address deficits.

Illinois is confronting an estimated $4.3 billion budget gap for its current fiscal year, which ends June 30. The shortfall equals 16.5% of the state's general-fund budget, the third-highest percentage gap in the U.S. behind Oklahoma and Arizona, according to a November report from the National Conference of State Legislatures. On Dec. 8, Moody's Investors Service gave Illinois the lowest state bond rating nationwide except for California's.

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State budget pictures bleak as lawmakers head back - washingtonpost.com

By SHANNON McCAFFREY

As lawmakers head back to state capitols this month, budget woes range "from bad to ridiculously bad," said David Wyss, chief economist at Standard & Poors in New York. "There are some states, those hit particularly hard by the recession, that I don't think can cut spending enough. They're running out of things to cut."

Typically, the worst budget years for states are the two years after a recession ends. Across the nation, budgets are already lean after several rounds on the chopping block. And unless lawmakers increase taxes or fees - unpopular moves in an election year - most will need to cut even more as they grapple with the steepest decline of tax receipts on record. Services ranging from higher education to programs for the elderly could be in jeopardy.

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Health spending: The cost of good health | The Economist

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From Economist.com
Where health-care spending is heaviest

HEALTH-CARE spending will consume 15.5% of the GDP in North America this year, the largest share of six regions worldwide. Record levels of public debt in America will limit the scope of health-care reforms set for 2010. Meanwhile, global life expectancy will reach 72.5 years, bringing the number of people aged 65 and over to 523m, or 7.6% of the population. This will reduce the amount of tax available to fund health-care systems everywhere, prompting governments and insurers to focus on public health, preventive care and other money-saving measures.

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Did Americans get any healthier over past decade? - washingtonpost.com

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By MIKE STOBBE

About 10 years ago the government set some lofty health goals for the nation to reach by 2010.

So how did we do? By many measures, not so hot. There are more obese Americans than a decade ago, not fewer. We eat more salt and fat, not less. More of us have high blood pressure. More of our children have untreated tooth decay.

But the nation has made at least some progress on many other goals. Vaccination rates improved. Most workplace injuries are down. And deaths rates from stroke, cancer and heart disease are all dropping.

As we move into a new decade, the government is analyzing how well the nation met the 2010 goals and drawing up a new set of goals for 2020 expected to be more numerous and - perhaps - less ambitious.
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Montana 3rd state to allow doctor-assisted suicide - washingtonpost.com

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By MATT GOURAS

The Montana Supreme Court said Thursday that nothing in state law prevents patients from seeking physician-assisted suicide, making Montana the third state that will allow the procedure.

Patients and doctors had been waiting for the state's high court to step in after a lower court decided a year ago that constitutional rights to privacy and dignity protect the right to die.

The Montana Supreme Court opinion will now give doctors in the state the freedom to prescribe the necessary drugs to mentally competent, terminally ill patients without fear of being prosecuted, advocates said.
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Retirees Snared by Medicare - WSJ.com

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By ANNE TERGESEN

Rules for enrolling in Medicare are complex. But when people postpone retirement past age 65, as many people are doing these days, it's easy to get caught up in red tape.

Older adults can't get into Medicare any time they want. The easiest time to sign up is when you turn 65, and, if you're already collecting Social Security, enrollment is automatic. But if you keep working beyond that age and opt instead to stay with your employer's group health plan, your options for getting Medicare can be sharply limited. It's important to pay attention to strict enrollment deadlines, or you may face a fine and risk going without coverage for months.
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