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Articles on Medicare

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Chief Justice John Roberts is shown leaving the Senate chamber during President Trump’s impeachment trial Feb. 5, 2020. Behind him is Lindsay Graham, (R-S.C). J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo

Chief Justice John Roberts’ recent fall underscores the vulnerability of people 65 and older to falling

The recent fall of Chief Justice John Roberts underscores that falls can happen to anyone. They are a major cause of disability in seniors - but there are some clearcut ways to prevent them.
People ages 50-64 begin to develop chronic conditions for which they need coverage. Doing away with insurance for pre-existing conditions puts this group at risk. Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

Pre-existing conditions: The age group most vulnerable if coverage goes away

Stripping away preexisting conditions coverage would have far-reaching effects, but 50- to 64-year-olds are most vulnerable. Ignoring medical issues at that age could mean sicker oldsters later on.
Medicare exists to ensure all Australians have fair access to health care. from www.shutterstock.com

More Medicare funding goes to wealthy kids: why, and what can we do about it?

Poorer children in Australia are less likely to receive their share of Medicare funding, particularly in the first years of life.
Nearly every Canadian family has a wait time story. This is because our system is not designed to provide optimal care for patients with multiple chronic diseases. (Shutterstock)

How to solve Canada’s wait time problem

To improve wait times for surgery, Canada needs to fix its health-care system. Developing a national seniors’ strategy would be a good place to start.
Australians are spending a larger proportion of their income on health insurance as premium increases outpace wage growth. The Conversation / Shutterstock

Private health insurance premium increases explained in 14 charts

Private health insurance premiums are set to rise again. These 14 charts (well, technically 10 charts and four tables) look at some of the reasons why health insurance premiums keep going up and up.
Most caregivers today are assisting their relatives. What will happen in the years ahead? ChaiyonS021/Shutterstock.com

Why the daunting economics of elder care are about to get much worse

The demographics, which include declining numbers of adult children free to step up and potentially fewer immigrants, suggest that this big problem society faces will get bigger.
Doctors’ visits can be overwhelming for older people. Syda Productions/Shutterstock.com

5 questions to ask your aging parents’ doctors

More than 47 million people age 65 and older live in the US, and many need help accessing health care. Here are some questions that grown children should ask their parents’ doctors.
More knowledge about your genetic makeup enables you to make better-informed choices – but at what cost? Shutterstock

Not all genetic tests should be publicly funded – here’s why

It’s exciting to think we’re on the brink of a genomic revolution in health care. But just because new technology becomes available, it doesn’t mean it should automatically be publicly funded.
Some of the original advocates for Medicare in the 1960s hoped to eventually extend it to everyone. AP Photo

‘Medicare for all’ could be cheaper than you think

Bernie Sanders’ single-payer health care plan is bound to be expensive and politically impossible. A simple expansion of Medicare offers a cheaper and more passable path to universal care.
As more and more seniors need care, their budgets will be strained. As a result, they may rely on Medicaid. gagliardiImages/Shutterstock.com

Why Medicaid matters to you

Medicaid, a state-federal entitlement program that people associate only with the poor, pays for care for more than six in 10 nursing home residents. That could be you, or someone you love.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who announced June 27 that a vote on the Senate health care bill has been delayed until after the July 4 recess. Carolyn Kaster/AP

Republican health care bills defy the party’s own ideology

The health care bill proposed by Senate Republicans was little better than the House version, which begs an important question: Who’s driving health care law – a free market or insurance companies?
Nurse Jane Kern administers medicine to patient Lexi Gerkin in Brentwood, New Hampshire. Lexi is one of thousands of severely disabled or ill children covered by Medicaid, regardless of family income. Charles Krupa/AP

Not just for the poor: The crucial role of Medicaid in America’s health care system

As Republicans seek to repeal Obamacare, they have added an overhaul of Medicaid to their plans. Here’s a look at the program and the surprising number of people who would be affected by cuts.
Because the threshold for the Medicare levy exemption is based on family income, the reform will reinforce the move towards higher effective tax rates on low income second earners in a family. Joe Castro/AAP

Shifting the tax burden to middle-income earners will undermine jobs and growth

With its recent budget changes, the government is proposing a rise in marginal tax rates across a wide band of middle incomes and a marginal tax rate cut for the top.

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