Search results for: herb weiss
Pandemic Lessons: “Essential Caregivers Act” Can’t Wait. A Merciful, Bipartisan Bill for a Voiceless Population – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues As COVID-19 spread rapidly across the country in March 2020 entering nursing homes largely through community transmission and staff movement the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued guidance calling for nationwide visitor bans in nursing homes. These strict restrictions barred all visitors and non-essential health care…
Read MoreVeteran Lawmaker Steny Hoyer Bids Farewell After 45 Years in Congress – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues According to Ballotpedia’s tracker of incumbents not seeking re-election in 2026, 20 House lawmakers are retiring at the end of this Congress, 17 of whom are age 50 or older. Last week, Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), a long-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced his retirement…
Read MoreMedicare Drug Savings Eclipsed by Part B Premiums, COLA Challenges and ACA’s Rising Costs – Herb Weiss
Medicare Drug Savings Eclipsed by Rising Part B Premiums, COLA Challenges and ACA’s Skyrocketing Costs” By Herb Weiss The official arrival of the New Year was marked by millions of viewers channel surfing between ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, eager to watch the ball drop in Times Square and ring in 2026. The iconic New…
Read More2025: A Year on the “Age Beat” in Rhode Island – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, issues on aging Throughout 2025, this “Age Beat†columnist published a weekly commentary covering an extensive list of aging, healthcare, and medical issues. During this year, this columnist followed Congressional debates inside the Beltway involving Medicare, Medicaid, reauthorization of the Older Americans Act, and Social Security, reporting on how these…
Read MoreCooling Heated Political Banter at the Christmas Dinner – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Over the years, nearly everyone has encountered an iconic archetype at holiday gatherings: “Uncle Bob.†At Christmas dinner, Bob predictably launches into uncomfortable political arguments. Other family members scramble to avoid his decisive political chatter—some using humor, others retreating to watch football games on the tube or…
Read MoreCombatting Loneliness Through Connection and Community Engagement – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues On April 30, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published an essay in The New York Times, announcing the impending release of U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory report titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.†In this essay he talked about his own personal struggles with loneliness and called loneliness…
Read MoreCongress Moves on a National Anti-Scam Strategy to Protect Older Adults – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer on aging issues Last month, the AARP, recognizing that the holiday season leading up to Christmas is widely viewed as “prime time†for scams targeting older Americans, released findings from its 2025 Holiday Shopping and Scams Survey. According to the AARP Fraud Watch Network, fraud aimed at online shoppers and…
Read MoreMedicare Enrolled will see Lower Costs on Select Drugs in 2026 – Herb Weiss
CMS Continues Efforts to Negotiate Lower Drug Costs By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues With Medicare Open Enrollment ending next week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced that last year’s Medicare negotiations produced a net savings of 44%—about $12 billion—on 15 widely used prescription drugs that treat cancer and other…
Read MoreTalking Political Turkey During Thanksgiving Dinner – Herb Weiss
Published in RINewstoday on November 25, 2024 – still relevant today! by Herb Weiss, contributing writer We face increased demands of family obligations planning for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Baking and cleaning to host dinner, and even unrealistic expectations about our families, or having a dysfunctional family, can produce extra stresses, feelings of anxiety, isolation,…
Read MoreMeals on Wheels Rhode Island Strategic Plan Builds Resilience, Growth – Herb Weiss
By Herb Weiss, contributing writer, aging issues Today, nearly 13 million older Americans worry about having enough to eat, and a 2020 University of Michigan poll conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic found that 56% feel lonely—a level so severe it has been declared a public health epidemic. Although the historic federal shutdown has ended, reimbursement…
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