MATURE MARKET HEADLINES POSTED 11/17/97
Fascist Healthcare in the West
Sometimes means become more important than ends. That seems to be the case with the new changes to the Medicare system (Balanced Budget Act of 1997). A provision of the Act could destroy the doctor-patient relationship for adults over the age of 65 once they begin to use their Medicare benefits.
Under the new legislation, a doctor who wants to contract privately with a patient enrolled in Medicare Part B must first sign an affidavit to that affect and agree to remove himself completely from the Medicare program for a period of two years. The result, says Robert E. Moffit of the Heritage Foundation, is that most Americans over the age of 65 will not be able to spend their own money to get medical treatment that they want, unless their doctor is willing to opt out of the Medicare program.
Ironically, the "New" Medicare makes the patient's needs and wishes secondary to maintaining the federal health care system. That's beyond socialism. Congress seems to have, inadvertently, made Medicare the fascist healthcare system in Western society.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Where Rare Ware Gets Cataloged
This Christmas, millions of baby boomers will be frantically wondering what kind of present they can give their elderly parents. Just in time for the hectic shopping season, a new catalog called "Adaptability" offers gift-giving ideas for older families.
The catalog is full of various types of wares designed to make life easier for adults with limited abilities. Over 200 gift solutions include massage and therapy accessories, painless exercise activities, bath and kitchen gadgets, fun and games, and home safety aids to ease worried minds. The gifts range in price from $12 to $50. Here's a few examples.
The "Talking Clock" actually speaks out the time when the user presses a button. No need to worry about low-light or small print. "Door Knob Adaptors" make opening doors a snap for those with weak or arthritic hands. For a free copy of the "Adaptability" catalog, call: 1-800-288-9941.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Classic Canned Cuisine Contest
Do you know a mom with the uncanny ability to balance a career, kids, and a busy social calendar? To honor moms like these, the Steel Packaging Council (SPC) has kicked off the "Call for the Classic Mom" contest in celebration of National Canned Food Month, February 1998. The winner must demonstrate, in a written essay, unique abilities to balance a busy schedule, give good advice and meet daily challenges. The grand prize is valued at $6,000. Entries must consist of a 200-word essay that answers the following questions:
- What makes you the classic 90's mom?
- What is your biggest challenge as a 90's mom?
- What are your tricks for balancing your schedule?
- What advice would you give to other 90's moms?
In addition, entries must include a recipe updated for the 90's using at least two canned ingredients.
Entries must be postmarked no later than December 15, 1997. Send your entry to: Call for the Classic Mom, Steel Packaging Council, P.O. Box 582, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. For complete contest rules, log on to the Better Homes and Gardens website at:
www.bhglive.com
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
Medicine is Enough to Make You Sick
The risk of an adverse reaction from a wrong or unnecessary medication is one-third higher for people between 50-59 than for those between the ages of 40 and 49. Sidney M. Wolfe, M.D., writing for New Choices magazine (Nov 97), says that harmful drug reactions in adults aged 50-plus result in 160,000 cases of memory loss, 16,000 car crashes, and 30,000 hip fractures.
The problem seems to be influenced by doctors who prescribe medications to older adults in dosages that are more appropriate for much younger patients. For example, an 80 year old patient generally requires about 50% of the dosage necessary for a 30 year old patient. The dosage difference is due to physical changes in connective tissue that affect the rate of drug transfer throughout the body, and the normally reduced function of the kidneys which filter toxins from the blood stream.
Then, there's the problem of doctors getting their information about new medications from advertisements and sales people rather than relying on medical research. The over-dose problem is so great that some doctors believe that a new ailment called "plaguing symptom" which consists of dizziness, fatigue or high blood pressure ... may not be an ailment at all ... but a side effect reaction from over-medication.
According to AgeVenture News sources, adverse medication practices place nearly 250,000 elders in the hospital each year at an annual cost of $3 billion. By the way, the clinical term for this common problem is "iatrogenic", or physician-induced.
AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
BACK TO TOP
View More Headlines
AgeVenture News Service, 21946 Pine Trace, Boca Raton, FL 33428 USA
Dr. David Demko, Editor
E-mail:newsdesk@demko.com
the media may use these headlines
free-of-charge