MATURE MARKET HEADLINES updated 9/29/99
Elders say "There's No Place Like HMO"
You heard right. Despite all the bad press on HMOs these days, there's a bit of good news on the horizon.
Elderly heart attack patients fare well with HMO emergency care say Harvard Medical School researchers. A recent study of HMO emergency care for acute myocardial infarction found equal or better care than that received with fee-service insurance. Lifesaving therapy and emergency transportation for elderly HMO patients were superior to the services provided on a fee-for-service basis.
That's good news because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of disability and death in the elderly. and, each year, nearly 300,000 Americans die of a heart attack before reaching the hospital. Of those who survive, most of the permanent damage done to the heart occurs during the first hour following a heart attack.
Despite public fears that managed care may interfere with the provision of timely urgent care, especially among vulnerable patients like the elderly, the study's findings indicate otherwise. For example, most of the ambulance use by HMO patients occurred at night, suggesting that 24-hour call-in lines or other services available from HMOs may have improved patients' access to emergency transportation.
"While further research is needed to examine different populations and medical conditions, our findings suggest that HMOs in this study provide elderly, heart attack patients with equal or better emergency care than under fee-for-service insurance," says Dr. Stephen B. Soumerai. This study was funded in part by the National Institute on Aging, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
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AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Can You Tell When Your Number's Up
This is a quiz. So pay attention because if you get the answer right, we go on to the "lightening round" where the prizes are bigger. No, not really. But this is a quiz of sorts. It's designed to test your knowledge about blood pressure. That's right, blood pressure. You see, most people are so uninformed about their blood pressure that they're a walking time bomb that could trigger a stroke or heart attack at anytime. That's why I didn't mention the BP word in the title of this article because like most other people you'd say something like "Oh, blood pressure, mine is okay". But you could be dead wrong, and I'd lose a reader. So let's get it right.
Okay, first question. Which number in your blood pressure ratio is most important, the bottom or top number? Like most people you've had it drilled into your head that the "bottom" number (diastolic blood pressure) is the most important. See, that's what I'm talking about. The bottom number isn't the most important. It's the top number. Surprised? So am I.
New evidence finds that systolic blood pressure (the top number) is far more important than diastolic blood pressure. Why? Because it identifies patients with hypertension, determines their blood pressure stage, and indicates the need for treatment, but both measurements used together are best. This finding comes to us courtesy the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study.
"For years", says Claude Lenfant, M.D., NHLBI Director, "treatment strategies have focused on lowering a patient's diastolic pressure, because diastolic pressure accurately predicted heart disease and stroke risk in younger patients." "But this practice excludes the elderly, who tend to have higher systolic pressures and lower diastolic pressures." Among patients over age 60, researchers found that systolic pressure alone correctly classified 99 percent of patients, whereas diastolic alone correctly classified only 47 percent.
Here's the low-down on the top (systolic) and bottom (diastolic) numbers. Systolic pressure measures the force blood exerts on the artery walls when the heart beats, and diastolic pressure measures the force on the arteries between heartbeats. Hypertension is diagnosed when the systolic blood pressure is 140 mm Hg or higher or the diastolic blood pressure is 90 mm Hg or higher. There are 50 million adults in the United States with hypertension. Only 68% of them are aware of their condition.
The Framingham Heart Study researchers agree that both measurements are important in identifying and treating patients with high blood pressure, but suggest that future blood pressure treatment guidelines might consider a greater emphasis on the systolic pressure. Now, aren't you glad you took the time to read this article? I'll bet you feel better already.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
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AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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SGMA Says Boomers Set Fashion Trends
With someone in America turning 50 every eight seconds, the baby boomer generation is poised to lead a mammoth millennial revolution, and shatter the golden years’ myth, affecting cultural values, attitudes and lifestyles. Drawing upon the synergy of the United Nations’ International Year of Older Persons, the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) will present an "Active & Ageless" weekend with an all-star lineup of sporting goods, fitness and fashion industries.
The multi-faceted event which includes "The Changing Shape of Fashion Educational Symposium", "Generations of Style Fashion Show" and an Intergenerational Walk in Central Park" will take place on October 1 and 2 in New York City. The sessions will explore America’s state of modern maturity and discuss the progressive senior movement, providing future solutions, in terms of lifestyle, family and business.
The range of topics will highlight niche sportswear design and style, the latest in high-tech "millennium" clothes, the fitness craze for boomers and beyond, legends of sport, as well as the challenge and success of marketing to seniors. For example, the fashion show will showcase the latest trend-setting niche in sports apparel.
According to Ambassador Julia Alvarez of the Dominican Republic Mission to the United Nations, author of the International Year of Older Persons Resolution, "Over the next 20 years, one billion people around the world will be aged 60 and over. Policies and programs promoting vital, active and independent people are key to maintaining healthy, productive and peaceful families, communities, economies and societies."
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
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Manufacturer Makes Lite of Boomer Trends
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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HIMA Backs Patient Access to Medical Miracles
The Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA) strongly endorses Senator Orrin Hatch's (R-UT) legislation, "The Medicare Patient Access to Technology Act of 1999," to speed access to medical technology for Medicare beneficiaries. The legislation will streamline Medicare's payment and coding systems and make improvements to its proposed hospital outpatient payment services.
Today, once a device clears FDA, it can take more than four-and-a-half years to work its way through the HCFA coverage process. "In real-world terms," said Pam Bailey, president of HIMA, "the slowdowns in Medicare systems translate into lost opportunities to save lives, reduce hospitalization, and improve quality of life."
Before medical products can reach Medicare patients they must endure a lengthy and bureaucratic process. They first must be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Next Medicare must "cover" the device. Then the device needs to be assigned a procedure code which identifies the technology and assigns it to a payment category. In short, many obstacles must be overcome and delays at any of these steps ultimately mean delays in patient access to needed life-saving and life-enhancing medical technologies.
Senator Hatch's bill addresses these problems by, among other things, shortening the time frames to secure national coverage. "Technology moves forward," said Bailey, "Medicare doesn't. And if a new technology is caught in Medicare's grips, chances are, the new technology doesn't move forward either. This legislation empowers patients and providers by harnessing the profound benefits of modern medicine."
The Hatch legislation is the companion bill to Rep. Jim Ramstad's (R-MN) bill which was introduced in the House in June. The Health Industry Manufacturers Association (HIMA) represents more than 800 worldwide manufacturers of medical devices, diagnostic products, and medical information systems. HIMA's members manufacture nearly 90 percent of the $62 billion of health care technology products purchased annually in the United States, and more than 50 percent of the $147 billion purchased annually around the world.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
New Technology Dominates Healthcare's Future
Gero-technology Creates Anti-aging Cells
Senior Law Center Calls for Medicare Reform
Medicare Strangled by Government's Red Tape
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Nolo Contender in Senior Self-Help Law
Nolo.com, the company that pioneered the self-help law movement nearly 30 years ago, has launched its new website at http://www.nolo.com. Readers are treated to plain-English explanations on a wide-variety of legal issues ranging from starting a small business to estate planning.
Nolo also publishes the ever-popular legal software, "Will-Maker" and "Living Trust Maker". Since 70% of Americans don't have a Will, I guess Nolo can expect that software to continue in its popularity. Visitors to the website will find plenty of self-help legal forms and easy access to current state or federal statutes through Nolo's new collaboration with another legal website called FindLaw.com
Here's a list of helpful items that seniors and boomers might find useful at the new Nolo website.
- An A-to-Z Legal Encyclopedia.
- 100 categories of self-help legal tools.
- Answers to 500 frequently asked legal questions.
- A "Dear Nolo" real-life legal issues column.
- An online store featuring 200 law products.
- A huge collection of lawyer jokes.
See related articles in the AgeVenture archives.
Have You the Will to Preserve Your Estate?
Lawyers Want Court to Outlaw Legal Help
Young Lawyers Court Mature Market
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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