A minute of health news from around the nation.

Arielle Zionts [arr-ee-ELL ZY-ence] reads the week’s news: If you’re an older patient taking a long list of medications, consider reviewing them with a primary care provider to make sure they’re helping more than hurting. Plus, states are experimenting with Medicaid meal deliveries to cut costs and improve patients’ health.

Transcript

For older patients, the risk of taking certain drugs may outweigh the benefits.

I'm Arielle Zients, and this is your KFF Health News Minute.

Many people take daily aspirin to prevent heart attacks, but for seniors without previous cardiac issues, there's little payoff, and the drug can cause internal bleeding.

Meanwhile, benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium can impair balance, leading to falls and fractures.

Talk to your doctor about the medications you take to make sure they're still right for you.

What's on your plate may be as important as what's in your medicine cabinet.

A growing number of states are using Medicaid dollars to deliver medically tailored meals to people who can't shop or cook for themselves.

Researcher Kurt Hager at the University of Massachusetts says the programs work.

Fewer emergency department visits, fewer hospitalizations.

But massive cuts to federal Medicaid funding could force states to drop these programs.

There's more at kffhealthnews.org. you