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Here are some of the latest developments in health and medicine compiled by HealthDay's editors:
Home Services for Seniors with Medicare Advantage Private Plans
Home services, such as help with housework and respite from caregivers, will be available to seniors benefiting from private Medicare Advantage plans in more than 20 states next year.
A health reason is required to qualify, and costs will vary depending on the plan. With some plans, there will be no additional cost. There will be limits on the benefits, the Associated press reported.
The number of states where new services are available is expected to increase over time.
New home care services could help seniors stay in their homes longer, according to the AP.
These services are similar to those that people may need in long-term care facilities, "said Howard Gleckman, principal investigator of the non-partisan think-tank Urban Institute.
"He's starting to break the wall between long-term care and Medicare, which, with very few exceptions, has never paid for long-term care," Gleckman said. AP.
It is expected that nearly 23 million Medicare beneficiaries, or more than one in three, will be covered by a Medicare Advantage plan next year.
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Ebola outbreak worse than ever in the history of Congo
The current outbreak of Ebola in Congo is the worst in the country's history, the health ministry said.
There have been 319 confirmed and probable cases and 198 deaths since the outbreak declaration on August 1st. These deaths include 163 confirmed cases of Ebola and 35 probable cases. CBS News / Associated Press reported.
"No other epidemic in the world has been as complex as the one we are currently experiencing," said Minister of Health Oly Ilunga Kalenga. "Since their arrival in the region, the intervention teams have faced threats, physical assaults, repeated destruction of their equipment and kidnappings."
The epidemic occurs in an area where armed groups are fighting for control of mineral wealth and where health authorities are also facing resistance from the community CBS News / AP reported.
Despite the difficulties, health officials have vaccinated more than 27,000 people at high risk because of contacts with patients with Ebola, according to Kalenga.
"This epidemic remains dangerous and unpredictable, and we must not give up, we must continue to seek a very dynamic response that requires permanent readjustments and real ownership at the community level," he said.
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