medicare
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Lyft lets you request rides directly from your healthcare provider
Lyft is introducing a healthcare pass that lets health plan provides and social services organizations cover rides for eligible patients.
How to get and stay sober during the COVID-19 quarantine
If your drinking habit is become problematic during the coronavirus quarantine, here are some online resources to get you back on the wagon.
Medicare expands US telehealth coverage in response to COVID-19
In an effort to keep seniors at home during the coronavirus outbreak, Medicare is expanding coverage for telehealth nationwide. Medicare patients can now connect with doctors and other providers through phone or video. This should allow millions of older adults to seek medical advice without potentially exposing themselves or others to the virus.
Medicare now covers gene sequencing for patients with advanced cancer
Patients with advanced cancer will soon have access to more personalized treatment plans because Medicare will now cover genetic tests that sequence tumor cell DNA and help healthcare providers determine treatment strategies. As Wired reports, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that for Medicare-enrolled patients with recurrent, metastatic, relapsed, refractory or stages III or IV cancer, such FDA-approved tests will be covered by their insurance. And since other insurance companies tend to take their cues from CMS, privately-insured patients will likely get similar coverage soon as well.
Tech companies file briefs supporting challenges to DACA withdrawal
Major tech companies are still voicing their support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects undocumented immigrants that came to the US when they were children. President Trump decided to end DACA protections in September and while tech companies spoke out in support of DACA prior to and following that decision, many have now filed a document backing those that are challenging the president's move in court.
Robot bears are coming for your grandparents
Not content to simply blame millennials for killing practically everything, baby boomers are now expecting the younger generations to care for them in their agedness. The nerve. Indeed, some 13 percent of the American population is now 65 or older, though a recent report from the Pew Research Center suggests that figure will nearly double by midcentury. Given that the current annual median price of a nursing-home room is around $92,000 (and rising), and because we can't just up and dump a quarter of America at the Springfield Retirement Castle, robots will have to start lending elderly folks a hand. Because if there's anybody who inherently trusts new and confusing technologies, it's the olds.
Theranos could be in trouble with Medicare regulators
Federal regulators have found problems at one of Theranos' labs, according to The Wall Street Journal's sources. The Silicon Valley startup, famous for its blood tests that require just a finger prick's worth of blood, has been under scrutiny recently due to claims its methods are inaccurate. The WSJ says that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which regulates clinical labs, has found "serious" and "severe" deficiencies at the site.
Proloquo2Go: Assistive communication for the iPhone and iPod touch
Proloquo2Go [iTunes Link] is not your usual iPhone/iPod touch app. It turns the mobile device into a full augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. According to the AAC Institute, an estimated 2.5 million Americans are speech disabled to the extent that they experience significant difficulty being understood by other people. Reasons vary, but are often the result of congenital illness or ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease). 75% of people using AAC devices have ALS. One alternative is learning how to use sign language, but that requires both adequate sensory motor ability of the user and a knowledge of sign language expected in the listener. It's a solution that helps some, but not all. When signing is not available or appropriate, using an AAC device may well be. AAC devices use combinations of symbols, words, sounds and technology to allow people without functional vocal abilities to communicate. The cost of such devices range from around US$3,500 to US$8,500 for something about the size of a Speak and Spell. In contrast, the Proloquo2Go app has a price of US$189.99. If someone is in the market for an AAC system, it is one of the biggest bargains in the entire App Store for any iPhone or iPod touch running OS 2.1 or higher. Proloquo2Go took the uncommon route of using existing hardware to run a complex AAC system. It's nearly impossible to describe the use of the system through words, though I'll try, but I'd suggest you check out some detailed videos walking you through the process in some depth.
