Mac users: Increase text size by holding command and +. Decrease text size by holding command and -.U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind national hotline to connect people with disabilities to information and services to improve access to COVID-19 vaccines. Continue reading
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Poll Finds Risky Drinking Patterns in Older Adults During Pandemic
As many older adults get back to normal life across the United States thanks to high rates of vaccination and lower COVID-19 activity, a new poll suggests many should watch their alcohol intake. Continue reading
Issue Brief – Medicare and Telehealth: Coverage and Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Options for the Future
An issue brief published by Kaiser Family Foundation dives into the rapid expansion of telehealth during the pandemic. For example, among the vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries with a usual source of care (95%), such as a doctor or other health professional, or a clinic, nearly two-thirds (64% or 33.6 million) say that their provider currently offers telehealth appointments, up from 18% who said their provider offered telehealth before the pandemic.
But nearly a quarter of Medicare beneficiaries (23%) say they don’t know if their provider offers telehealth appointments, and this percentage is larger among beneficiaries who live in rural areas (30%). Continue reading
Mass. Residents Age 55+ and Those With One Medical Condition Become Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine
As of Monday, April 5th, residents 55+ and residents with one certain medical condition are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at any of the Commonwealth’s over 300 vaccination locations, including 269 pharmacy locations. With this group, more than 1 million additional residents are eligible for vaccine in the Commonwealth. Continue reading
New Data on Advance Care Planning During Pandemic Coincides with Preparations for Healthcare Decisions Day
As the toll of COVID-19 continues to climb, newly released poll data suggest an opportunity to use the pandemic as a prompt for discussing and documenting older adults’ wishes for care, in case of seriously illness or injury.
Overall, 59% of the 50- to 80-year-olds polled said they had had a conversation with loved ones about their preferences in case they became severely ill. That percentage was even higher — 70% — among those over age 65. Just 7% of all older adults polled said COVID-19 had motivated them to have such conversations. Continue reading
US HHS to Expand Access to COVID-19 Vaccines for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through a partnership between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL), will provide nearly $100 million to help increase vaccinations among older adults and people with disabilities. Continue reading
Older Adult Population Driving Growth in Mass. ‘Dual Eligible’ Membership
According to Mass Medicaid Policy Institute’s report, “A Primer on the Dual Eligible Population in Massachusetts,” over the past five years, MassHealth dual eligible membership, which currently stands at 312,000 residents, has seen growth driven by its older population. Continue reading
Baker Administration Releases Phase 4 Updated Guidance to Health Care and Human Services Providers
As Massachusetts begins Phase 4, this week the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and respective agencies released a series of new guidance documents for health care and human service providers that supports the safe reopening of programs and provider sites and protects workers, patients, families, and the public. Continue reading
Conversation Guide Developed by IHI to Improve COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
To help health care staff and leaders have trust-building conversations about the COVID-19 vaccine, both at work and at home, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) developed a conversation guide based on their expertise and work. To view the guide, users can create a free profile on the IHI website. Continue reading
Poll Finds Big Shift in High-Risk Older Adults’ Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination
Last fall, nearly half of older adults were on the fence about COVID-19 vaccination – or at least taking a wait-and-see attitude, according to a University of Michigan poll taken at the time.
But a new follow-up poll shows that 71% of people in their 50s, 60s and 70s are now ready to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when a dose becomes available to them, or had already gotten vaccinated by the time they were polled in late January. That’s up from 58% in October. Continue reading