“Why Medicare Doesn’t Pay for Rapid At-Home Covid Tests,” by Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News   Quote: “What group is especially vulnerable to the ravages of covid-19 even if fully vaccinated and boosted? Seniors. And who will have an especially tough time getting free at-home covid tests under the Biden administration’s plan? Yes, seniors. This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free. As of Jan. 15, private insurers will cover the cost of eight at-home rapid covid tests each month for their members — for as long as the public health emergency lasts. Finding the tests will be hard
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“COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities through June 2021,” by Priya Chidambaram and Rachel Garfield, Kaiser Family Foundation Quote: “A previous data note found that weekly deaths and cases in LTCFs dropped to an all-time low in April 2021, largely due to the high rates of vaccination among LTCF residents and staff. Additionally, five states in that previous analysis reported zero deaths per 100,000 state residents in April 2021. This data note examines state reported LTCF data from 42 states plus Washington DC through the end of June 2021 to examine patterns of COVID-19 cases and deaths among LTCF residents and staff.
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“How the Pandemic Reshaped the Estate Planning Landscape,” by Kalimah White, Advisor Magazine Quote: “To put it simply, whereas once people were most worried about troubles close to home, today, they are most focused on threats that come from the outside and which, in many cases, are beyond their control. In 2018, for instance, less than 8 percent of respondents mentioned longer life and rising health costs as a key concern. In 2021, that number was 22 percent, roughly three times higher. Political conflict in Washington was mentioned four times as often this year as it was two years ago.
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