A Resource for Seniors, Caregivers, and Advocates

There’s been a lot of talk for the last few years about how the government’s rules, regulations, and legislation will, or already have, slowed the discovery of new medicines. I’ve written a lot about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and how I believe the price-setting policies will limit innovation. As is always the case, both sides of the question wade in with their own evaluation of the impact of the IRA on innovation, with some saying there will be little impact.

For the past few years, in February, I’ve written many blogs highlighting American Heart Month. I wrote a blog about getting back to taking care of yourself and your heart a year into the pandemic and one explaining what heart-healthy meant. I wrote a blog about the seven key health factors and behaviors that increase risks for heart attacks and strokes called “Life’s Simple 7”. Another blog discussed recognizing the signs of a heart attack. These were all great blogs . . . ok, maybe just adequately written, but each one passed on some really good information.

Vaccines were in the news a lot last week and were centered around the confirmation hearings concerning President Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). The hearings were conducted by the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. There were many questions about Mr. Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, and all of the old controversies, myths, and theories once again were in the news. It seemed that vaccines have become intertwined with politics and our freedoms, and I thought it would be important that I take a shot at separating the political rhetoric from these lifesaving medicines.

Almost every January I do a blog on Glaucoma since it is National Glaucoma Awareness Month. I do this because of the stealthy way glaucoma can rob older Americans of their sight. They use the word awareness in the title because the way that we combat this sight-robbing disease is by being aware of the danger and by getting tested. There’s no magic cure for glaucoma, but there are medicines, eye drops, and even surgery that can slow the progression of the disease and help you maintain your sight.

The nonpartisan senior healthcare advocacy group issued the following statement in response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement for an additional 15 drugs selected for Medicare Drug Price Negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

In the past, I’ve talked a lot about the nuances of policies that affect Medicare, which is only natural since Medicare is a part of the lives of over 60 million older Americans. One of the challenges I face is trying to extract the rhetoric that seems to permeate any proposed changes to Medicare and then explain the impact these changes could have on our healthcare. It’s also difficult to separate fact from fiction in these days of social media influencers and conspiracy theories. We’ve all been notified, on smartphones, our PCs, by email, etc., of some huge problem with Medicare or parts of our healthcare.

Every year, in the first part of January, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is held in Las Vegas. It has been going on for more than 57 years and this year attracted 138,000+ attendees. It is the showplace for unveiling the latest in consumer technology and what the future looks like for computer hardware, electronics, and software. This is the third year I have visited the show, and each year, I am absolutely astounded by what technology can do now and what it has the power to do when it comes to making us healthier and enjoy longer lives in the future.

2025 sounds to me like a year far in the future, not the year I’m living in right now. It reminds me of when I woke up one New Year's morning and realized that I was now living in the same year that George Orwell wrote about in his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, a novel that I had read 20 years earlier. I don’t want to be overdramatic, but 2025 may turn out to be a year that we look back on and recognize as the start of a new direction in our country’s history.

The last election was a stark continuance of the polarized status of our politics and even our country. Both sides disagree on fundamental issues, and at times, it appears there is no attempt to even listen to the other side. This is the environment we find ourselves in, and with one party having won the majority in the House and the Senate, as well as capturing the White House, it looks like this polarization is going to be magnified. As we look forward to 2025, from a healthcare perspective, it’s easy to think that any compromise or bipartisan solutions may be out of the question.

I always loved the song of the late 70’s, love is in the air. I wouldn’t, however, say that love was in the air to describe the relationship between the two main parties leading up to last month’s elections. We have an absolutely polarized political environment at almost every level, as was demonstrated in the debates, the advertising, and the rhetoric that existed at every campaign event.

Senior’s Speak Out is a great name that exudes action and a resolve to advocate for ourselves and to right wrongs. At its core is action, a willingness to combine our voices into a single coordinated message that rises above the ever-present cacophonous noise that exists in today’s politics. The only way for us to succeed as a group is to take individual responsibility to respond to calls for action, to take the time to review and understand the issues to take a stance, and to contact those who govern us. I’m a big believer in individual accountability, that we all are responsible for our own actions and our own inaction.

It seems to me these days that as soon as Halloween is done, we get right into Christmas, and, in my humble opinion (abbreviated as IMHO in the current social media parlance), we are skipping one of the best holidays of the year - Thanksgiving. I’ve seen stores displaying Christmas trees, decorations, and ideas for holiday gifts since October ended, and there are now black Friday sales a week prior to black Friday.

Monday was Veterans Day, a day that always caused me to reflect on my service and the service of those I served with. As a B-52 crew member in the Vietnam War, I grew very close to many I flew with and grieved for those friends I lost due to inflight accidents. I have a special connection with those who served there. This experience gave me a sense of the sacrifice gifted to us by those who serve and fight for us today, and I relish the chance to thank them for their service.

As if we all didn’t know, tomorrow is election day, and yes, this is another plea to get out and vote. Hopefully, I’ll hit on some good points or at least hit some nerve that pushes you to get out and exercise what may be the most important freedom we have – voting. As I am wont to do, I’ll give you some links at the end of the blog that will give you information on what to do and where to go to vote and to register on election day if your state allows it.

Last Thursday, October 24th, Seniors Speak Out (SSO) held a Facebook live event discussing the Seniors Satisfaction Survey that the Healthcare Leadership Council’s (HLC) Medicare Today conducts every year. I, SSO Spokesperson Thair Phillips, hosted the event, which included Matt Monday from Morning Consult, the firm that conducted the survey, and Maria Ghazal, the President and CEO of HLC.