Sunday, March 17, 2013
The Medicare.gov database shows how hospitals closest to Somerville—and the nation—compare for care. Hospitals, meanwhile, have criticized the data as inaccurate.
When you're in Somerville and you need to go to the emergency room, which hospital is the most efficient? It depends on what you mean, according to data released by the Center for Medicare & Medicid Services at medicare.gov. At three of the hospitals closest to Somerville, emergency room wait times varied, though most were below the national and state average. Massachusetts General Hospital had the quickest emergency room, according to the data. On average, patients waited 10 minutes at MGH before being seen by a healthcare professional. The wait time was 20 minutes at Cambridge Health Alliance in Inman Square, and it was 49 minutes at Mount Auburn Hospital. The state average is 40 minutes and the national average is 30 minutes, according …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Massachusetts Democrats in Congress want to avoid cuts in benefits as part of any deal, but proposals such as raising the eligibility age for Medicare are still on the table. What would you do?
As Congress negotiates a deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" on Jan. 1, Massachusetts' congressional representatives have voiced their opposition to any cuts in benefits such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the Boston Globe reports. However, there are proposals still on the table that would change those benefit programs, including linking Social Security benefits to a more conservative inflation index that would slightly reduce annual increases, or raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67. The Globe reported that while the Bay State's legislators were united against changes to Social Security, there's some wiggle room on Medicare. Rep. Ed Markey opposes raising the Medicare eligibility age; Rep. Michael …
Monday, November 12, 2012
Medicare recipients have until Dec. 7 to review their coverage options, and there are services available to help people navigate all the confusion, Somerville's state senator says.
- GOVERNMENT
-
Monday, November 12, 2012
The following is from Somerville State Sen. Patricia Jehlen. She reminds people they have until Dec. 7 to review and make enrollment changes to their Medicare coverage. She also has advice for people who would like to consult with an expert about their options. Here's what Jehlen writes: Review your Medicare Options, Save Money The annual Medicare enrollment period is earlier than usual this year, starting October 15 and lasting through December 7. During this window, and only during this window, you can review your Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans’ coverage options. While reviewing your Medicare coverage is not necessarily an exciting prospect, it is certainly important. Ensuring that you are in the most cost-effective …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Somerville's mayor jumped on a national campaign issue regarding Medicare at a local senior home Wednesday.
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone has joined other Democrats in attacking Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan on Medicare. Here in Somerville—the least Republican city in Massachusetts—the mayor jumped into the fray Wednesday morning. Speaking at the Visiting Nurse Association, a community home for elderly residents, accompanied by Massachusetts Democratic Chair John Walsh, Curtatone bashed Romney and Ryan on Medicare. "The Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan budget plan guts Medicare as we know it," he said. "It divides people by class," he said. "It's going to reward the rich at the expense of working class people like yourselves." Curtatone continued, "That's not how I was brought up. I come from a working class family of Italian immigrants who worked hard…
42.3926
-71.1063
Visiting Nurse Association
259 Lowell St, Somerville, MA
/articles/curtatone-bashes-romney-and-ryan-on-medicare-in-front-of-somerville-seniors
1829567
/locations/7623264
AHM
5:53 am on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Mass General was pretty quick when I went there, made me do paperwork first, Mount Auburn was not bad, same, had to do paperwork. Been to Lahey ER many times and under 5 minutes I was hooked up to machines, just handed them my insurance and lahey card and got rushed right in. Somerville Hospital was long waits but to be fair that was a long time ago. more ›