Countdown to 2024 elections heating up about what to do about Social Security – Herb Weiss

A photo of a row of columns in sepia.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues The political clock is ticking. It’s 340 days before the upcoming presidential elections and control of Congress and the White House are up for grabs.  As education, abortion, foreign policy, immigration, crime are emerging as upcoming campaign issues, fixing Social Security and Medicare are also on the voter’s…

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Eating your favorite Thanksgiving foods without sabotaging your health – Herb Weiss

Thanksgiving turkey and vegetables on a table.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues We look forward to gathering around the Thanksgiving table with family and friends to enjoy good company and good food. “For individuals with chronic diseases such as diabetes or heart disease, holiday social gatherings can be more challenging and at times anxiety inducing,” says Marilyn Csernus, a former,…

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Talking Turkey about the Holiday Blues – Herb Weiss

A close up of a clock on a black background.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Increased demands of family obligations during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, baking, and cleaning to host dinner, and even unrealistic expectations about family, or having a dysfunctional family, can produce extra stresses, feelings of anxiety, isolation, and depression.  This is oftentimes referred to as holiday blues. This year, during…

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Federal Court denies attempt to stop Medicare drug negotiation program – Herb Weiss

Many prescription bottles are lined up on a shelf.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Over two months ago, as supporters of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) celebrated the one-year anniversary of the passage of the historic legislation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), along with drugmakers filed multiple lawsuits to block the IRA’s drug…

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Putting the brakes on CMS proposed minimum staffing for nursing facilities – Herb Weiss

A woman is holding an elderly woman's hand.

By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issue In response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recent release of proposed rule to establish minimum federal staffing requirements, last week 97 members of Congress, mostly Republican, called on Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra to put the breaks on CMS’s proposed…

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