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Recent Personal HealthPosts

Automatic Prescription Refills: Helpful or Wasteful?

Posted on 06/18/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal Health | PoliticsPrescription drug programs that automatically ship out refills at regular intervals can help older Americans follow doctor’s orders, according to business organizations that are lobbying against a Medicare crackdown on the practice. Medicare, though, says that the automatic refill programs lead to waste when beneficiaries get prescriptions they don’t need and can’t return them. In February, the Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services (CMS) proposed new regulations that say, in part: “Shipment of unwanted medications is not only wasteful, but …

Does a Top Drugmaker’s Playbook Stifle Competition?

Posted on 06/17/2013 by | News | Comments

Personal Health | Politics | Public Policy InstituteIf you owned the bestselling prescription drug of all time and its patent was about to expire, how would you prepare for competition from generic drugs? You might look at what Pfizer did when time was running out on its patent for the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor, which by 2011 had become the all-time bestselling prescription drug of any kind. And you could save yourself some time by reviewing a new AARP Public Policy Institute case study of Pfizer’s approach. The …

How Do You Keep Your Brain Sharp?

Posted on 06/17/2013 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthThe following is a guest post by Margot Seay – AARP National Volunteer Director WATCH AARP LIVE JUNE 20TH, 9PM CT/10PM ET ON RFD-TV As I walked around AARP’s  Life@50+  member event held recently in Las Vegas, I was fascinated to see that one of the most popular booths was about brain health. People were lined up around the room to play games that tested their mental abilities! It really struck me at that point that I’m not alone in …

Get Ready for Medicare Price Cuts on Medical Supplies

Posted on 06/17/2013 by | Personal Health and Well-being | Comments

Bulletin Today | Personal HealthStarting July 1, a new Medicare competitive-bidding program will mean lower costs for the more than 15 million beneficiaries who order diabetes supplies and other medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds and walkers. This will especially affect those who receive their diabetic testing strips and lancets by mail — about 50 to 60 percent of diabetic patients, according to the New York Times. The competitive-bidding program — the official mouthful is Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) …

Look at Men’s Health Week This Father’s Day

Posted on 06/14/2013 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Personal HealthThe following is a guest post by Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Bill Corr Men, don’t wait for a wakeup call when it comes to your health By HHS Deputy Secretary Bill Corr As a group, we men are not known for doing a very good job of taking care of our own health. National Men’s Health Week, from June 10 through Father’s Day on June 16, is a good time for us to start taking responsibility and doing …

Why Lost Pounds Return and Bring Friends

Posted on 06/14/2013 by | Fat to Fit | Comments

Personal HealthAn acquaintance once said that she had lost over 200 pounds. Looking at her girth, I confess that I doubted the claim until she quickly added, “Of course, it’s the same 20 pounds 10 times.” Given the single-minded focus required to lose weight, why do so many of us (an estimated percent) regain the pounds we lost—and even add a few more? How maddening is that? Researchers are starting to explain this common experience, and their insights are both encouraging …