Pebble Beach, CA In Home Dialysis Expands Under Medicare

A woman and a nurse smiling for the camera.


Senior citizens with kidney problems will have an option of in-home dialysis care covered by Medicare.  About 1 in 3 Medicare patients that are struggling with end-stage renal disease will be enrolled in the new program.  In addition to being more convenient, it will reduce the risk of being exposed to people with COVID-19.  Medicare also announced that it will increase the amount it pays provider of home kidney treatments to help gain traction with the program.  About 92,000 Americans are currently on the kidney transplant list.  For more information, talk to one of our local dialysis centers in Monterey County which are listed here:

https://www.dialysisfinder.com/dialysis-centers/monterey/ca/100#.X9Kn79hKjcs

Identifying Colon Cancer Just Got Easier

A doctor and patient looking at a book


Medtronic’s GI Genius, which was recently cleared by the FDA in order to help doctors identify precancerous polyps.  Although you will still need to have a colonoscopy, the AI tool should make doctors more accurate.  “We’re all humans,†said gastroenterologist Michael Wallace.  After back-to-back procedures, he admits, “We get tired.â€Â  Wallace consulted with Medtronics on the new technology and told a reporter, “We really have the opportunity to completely wipe out colon cancer in anybody who gets screened.â€Â  The tool, called GI Genius, has analyzed more than 13 million videos of colonoscopies in order to teach it how to recognize polyps.

https://www.wired.com/story/ai-help-wipe-out-colon-cancer/?bxid=5d9650350564ce3ac11dd859&cndid=1617543&esrc=AUTO_PRINT&mbid=mbid%3DCRMWIR012019%0A%0A&source=EDT_WIR_NEWSLETTER_0_DAILY_ZZ&utm_brand=wired&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_mailing=WIR_Daily_041221&utm_medium=email&utm_source=nl&utm_term=list1_p4

Telemedicine May Become The Norm Post Pandemic


Although many people have only used telemedicine, or virtual medicine, for the first time during the pandemic, this may become very popular going forward.  However, some worry that doctors appointments that are not done in person may not allow the physician to pick up on telltale physical clues which can be masked by the camera.  Body language can give a physician important clues to your health.  Despite the pro’s and con’s, I think that going forward most patients will feel a mix of physical and virtual appointments will be the best bet.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-telemedicine-changed-my-relationship-with-my-doctors-11616942876?mod=djemHL_t

Carmel, CA Seniors Turning To Telehealth Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic


More and more seniors are turning to Telehealth programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  “When you’re not feeling well, having to get up, get dressed and drive all the way to the hospital and then get in line and then possibly get sick from someone else is not all that appealing,†Marla Jo Fisher, a writer, told AARP Bulletin (November 2020, page 44).  Medicare is expanding coverage of telehealth visits during the pandemic, changes which hopefully will remain in place.  The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that less than 1% of primary care visits in February were via Telehealth, a number which jumped to 43.5% in April.  California has a bill going into effect on January 1 requiring all insurers to pay for Telehealth visits.  If your doctor isn’t using Telehealth, talk to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, on suggestions.

https://www.chomp.org/find-a-doctor/doctor-search-results/?termId=a826e4db-730c-e611-9cf8-005056a462a1#.X9fgodhKjcs

More Lung Cancer Screenings Available

A doctor and patient looking at a book


The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force expanded recommendations for lung cancer screening from the age of 55 down to the age of 50, while smoking intensity has been reduced from 30 to 20 pack year history (meaning one pack a day for 20 years or two packs a day for 10 years).  The new criteria is expected to increase eligibility from 6.4 million adults to 14.5 million, according to an editorial by University of North Carolina School of Medicine professors which was published in the journal JAMA.  “There’s a huge need to diagnosing patients early,†Dr. David Carbone, an oncologist and lung cancer specialist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, told USA Today.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2021/03/09/lung-cancer-screening-guidelines-double-number-people-eligible/4641108001/

Carmel, CA Seniors Turning To Telehealth Amidst Coronavirus Pandemic

A person holding a stethoscope in front of a laptop.


More and more seniors are turning to Telehealth programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  “When you’re not feeling well, having to get up, get dressed and drive all the way to the hospital and then get in line and then possibly get sick from someone else is not all that appealing,†Marla Jo Fisher, a writer, told AARP Bulletin (November 2020, page 44).  Medicare is expanding coverage of telehealth visits during the pandemic, changes which hopefully will remain in place.  The Department of Health and Human Services recently reported that less than 1% of primary care visits in February were via Telehealth, a number which jumped to 43.5% in April.  California has a bill going into effect on January 1 requiring all insurers to pay for Telehealth visits.  If your doctor isn’t using Telehealth, talk to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, CHOMP, on suggestions.

Monterey, CA Join The Alliance On Aging For A Zoom Meeting On Medicare Friday at 4:00


Join the Alliance on Aging this Friday for a zoom meeting on understanding the basics of Medicare.  Experts will discuss Part A, Part B, Part C Advantage Plans, Part D, Supplemental Plans, Penalties, Low Income Assistance Programs and more.  The meeting ID is 824 2926 4235 and the passcode is 739283, please see the link below.  If you don’t have access to a computer you can call in at 1-866-900-6833.  For more information, contact Moncerat Politron at 646-5049.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82429264235?pwd=UTJFdmJDQVBSQWUxWjNNSHpnQmJIdz09#success

California Sues Brookdale Nursing Home Chain

A woman looking out of the window at her home.


Salinas), claiming that they have manipulated the Medicare ratings system to make their nursing homes look more attractive than they actually are.  The lawsuit is among the first of its kind to accuse nursing homes of submitting false information to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, which uses data on the amount of time spent with residents and pairs it with in-person examinations by state health inspectors.  The facility is then ranked based on stars, allowing consumers to choose which facility they want to put a loved one in.  The lawsuit accuses Brookdale of falsifying its payroll-based journal entries, effectively stating that they have more staff than they do.   Prosecutors also are accusing Brookdale of illegally evicting or transferring residents so the chain could replace them with clients that generate more revenue.  A former Brookdale nursing assistant said in a deposition that her supervisors told her to falsify medical records to make it look like patients received more care than they did.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/business/california-lawsuit-brookdale-senior-living-nursing-homes.html?campaign_id=49&emc=edit_ca_20210316&instance_id=28107&nl=california-today&regi_id=52105769&segment_id=53505&te=1&user_id=7052b81671c57203c64c377c7522baa7

https://www.brookdale.com/en/communities/brookdale-salinas.html?cid=yext

Hospital Care At Home To Be The New Norm?

A building with the capitol in the background.


There is growing interest to shift hospital services into patients’ homes, a movement that started even prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.  Startups are providing technology to bring medical services into the home and well-known Venture Capital companies are backing them.  Hospitals are finding that some common illnesses like urinary-tract infections can be effectively treated at home.  This is a very common ailment for seniors and it would be great to see them recover from this at home.  Hospital-at-home care hasn’t taken off in large part due to the fact that insurance companies haven’t covered it.  However, many are trying to convince Medicare and private insurance companies with data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showing home hospitalization reduced costs, healthcare use and readmissions, while increasing physical activity compared with typical hospital care.  In addition, Medicare recently introduced a new program whereby hospitals can be reimbursed for home care they provide to patients during the pandemic.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/crop-of-startups-move-hospital-care-into-the-home-11614853803

Amazon Pharmacy Gets Good Reviews On Prescription Pricing

A table with many different types of pills on it.


Amazon Pharmacy jumped into the online prescription market in November, entering another highly competitive—but lucrative—space.  The digital pharmacy offers free two-day home delivery and AARP Bulletin in their January/February 2021 Issue (page four) gave the service high marks.  “We compared benefit prices against other retail options and found that its prices were often—but not always—cheaper,†said the AARP Bulletin article.