Senior Prescription Savings

AARP Publications, the premier publisher of lifestyle information for the ever-growing 50+ and boomer markets, and Publishers Weekly, the leading trade magazine of the book industry, today announced a multi-year strategic relationship through which they will create a variety of initiatives that include content sharing, events and sponsorships. This joint effort enables both AARP Publishing and Publishers Weekly to expand their offerings to the book industry and AARPÂ’s 38 million members through this unique multi-media platform, effectively targeting the 50+ demographic.

AARP announced the coverage sponsorship of CNNÂ’s New Hampshire Democratic and GOP debates on June 3 and June 5, with the launch of two new, bold ads featuring children delivering frank declarations on the state of healthcare and financial security, and in the second ad, speaking directly to candidates.

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute's Dr. Lodovico Balducci will receive the B. J. Kennedy Award and Lecture for Scientific Excellence in Geriatric Oncology at the 6th Annual American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Conference June 1-5 in Chicago. Balducci is the Program Leader of Moffitt's Senior Adult Oncology Program and Chief of the Division of Geriatric Oncology. "I feel proud to have my name associated with B. J. Kennedy," said Balducci. [click link for full article]

To help America's seniors stay on their feet and free of injury, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) have developed a set of simple guidelines designed to help older Americans avoid falls and lower the incidence of serious injury when falls occur. The two organizations will launch a public service announcement (PSA) campaign in March 2007 to spread the word to active seniors. [click link for full article]

Federal regulators on Friday announced that Medicare planned to deny coverage of artificial disks implanted in the lower spines of beneficiaries older than age 60, the New York Times reports. [click link for full article]

The Joint Finance Committee of the Wisconsin Legislature on Thursday voted 15-1 to approve a proposal that would allocate $80.6 million over the next two years to fund an expansion of Family Care, a state program that provides long-term care to elderly and disabled residents, the [click link for full article]

While exercise and playing sports can be lots of fun, aging puts some limits on the intensity and duration of that activity. Growing older also makes us more prone to injuries ourselves during physical activity. "Baby boomers" tend to be at risk, since they may just be discovering their bodies are not as young as they used to be. [click link for full article]

Older people who performed a physical conditioning program developed by researchers at Yale School of Medicine were able to maintain or enhance their driving performance, potentially leading to a safer and more independent quality of life. As the number of older drivers increases, concern about the safety implications have been raised and was a motivator for the study. Flexibility, coordination and speed of movement have been linked with older drivers' on road performance. [click link for full article]

Almost two-thirds (65%) of hip fracture patients aged 65 and older had surgery on the day they were admitted to hospital or the next day in 2005��"2006, but new indicators published today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) show that some patients have longer waits. For example, 8% of seniors admitted to Canadian hospitals outside Quebec with hip fractures (about 1,400 patients) spent four or more days in hospital before undergoing surgery. [click link for full article]

The Board of Directors of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) today announced a new initiative to protect beneficiaries as they consider enrolling in the Medicare Advantage and Part D programs and ensure that brokers, agents and plan marketing staff meet new qualifications and requirements. The new initiative sets out responsibilities that go beyond existing guidelines and make clear that health plans are committed to giving Medicare beneficiaries peace of mind. [click link for full article]