I am deeply concerned that the American public, particularly our nation’s elders, will be relying on our government to deliver extended term care services they will in no way see. They will only see the “smoke and mirrors” of Overall health Care Reform.
Our nation’s seniors are the most vulnerable segment of the U.S. population vulnerable both health sensible and financially. They are silently discovering the savings they thought would be adequate is not sufficient. They’re silently fearful of running out of money with no one to care for them as they grow to be much more frail. The silence is about to become deafening.
Regrettably, when Wellness Care Reform proudly announced New Long Term Care Services, it discouraged lots of American’s from buying Lengthy Term Care Insurance coverage.
The New York Occasions reported on ‘Options Expand for Reasonably priced Lengthy-Term Care’ THE NEW OLD AGE. The Associated Press announced ‘New Wellness Care Law Has Rewards for Seniors’. Point becoming, the casual reader was relieved to hear their government will “take care of them” when they will need extended term care solutions. We now know that is not about to take place.
Fortunately our representatives in Washington discovered that Overall health Care Reforms answer to the issue of Extended Term Care, “CLASS”, (Neighborhood Living Help Services and Supports Act) legislation would have been fiscally unsound. $70 billion in premiums that was anticipated to be raised for the new “extended term care” program would have been counted as “deficit reduction”. The lengthy term care rewards it was intended to finance were assumed not to materialize in the initially 10 years. On the other hand, that funds was not accounted for anywhere in the legislation.
The new legislation proposed to “trim” $463 billion from Medicare. However Medicare is at the moment having difficulty balancing its books nowadays. Yet, why does the overall health care bill tell us Medicare can operate much more cheaply going forward without having the accompanying reforms?
Our national media gave huge fanfare to the CLASS ACT when it passed. Unfortunately the media has given the CLASS ACT’s demise little attention. Now what?
Projections show that the federal deficit is anticipated to exceed $700 billion annually over the next decade. This basically will double the national and $900 billion represents interest on prior debt. Would the CFO of any significant corporation in the United States permit the company he worked for to finish up in this kind of economic position? Absolutely not.
Our officials in Congress have been elected to defend the best interests of the American men and women. “Robbing Peter to pay Paul”, and once once more printing much more currency, has turn into our government’s mantra for the future. Yet the magnitude of the mismanagement of America’s purse strings has now reached an unconscionable state.
The United States of America can not continue to mismanage its financial future. Future Congresses will have to provide a multitude of future reforms and, regrettably, history tells us THAT will by no means come about. Proposals for financing health reform had been primarily based on much more “smoke and mirrors”. The “Cadillac” tax is scheduled to start in 2018.
yoursite.com that has been forced on every and just about every one particular of us is identified to be fiscally unsound. Exactly where do we go from right here? It really is too uncomplicated to point the finger at the President and his administration. Yet Congress owns the responsibility of passing Overall health Care Legislation. And THAT is the dilemma.
The 535 voting members of Congress shared the duty equally. If one particular clear considering, intelligent, honorable Congressman had the entire responsibility for Wellness Care Reform, he or she would not have forced a fiscally unsound Well being Care Reform Bill down our throats.
Now let’s once more evaluate how Well being Care Reform will perform against our senior citizens.
A most current government report identified that in 2000 there have been 1.8 million available nursing property beds. As the year 2010 came to a close, there had been 1.7 million nursing home beds a net 5 % reduction in available beds. And, there are no new nursing properties being built.
Today there is much less than 1.5 million Americans confined to nursing houses. Reportedly ten % of these nursing homes are operating beneath bankruptcy protection. It is well recognized that most of these facilities are understaffed and numerous don’t have competent help.
Next, let’s take into account that the Alzheimer’s Association tells us the likelihood of building Alzheimer’s just after age 85 is 50 %. By 2030, they inform us that the quantity of persons age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s illness is estimated to attain 7.7 million, a 50 percent improve from the five.two million age 65 and older at the moment impacted.
The logical question I must ask is “if we cannot take sufficient care of 1.five million folks these days, how can we possibly take care of 7.7 million people in 2030?” We can’t. A lot more just place, when you or your spouse or your parent has Alzheimer’s, there is no place for them to go. Not to be cruel, but if you ever assume for a moment about taking in an aged parent with Alzheimer’s into your residence, please feel once again. Ask any caregiver who’s been via it. It’s Assured to destroy any families’ peace of mind and harmony.
Why are not our political leaders actively working on solutions? Where’s the outcry? Regrettably our political leaders only align themselves with solvable problems.
America’s seniors became much more hopeful reading that Overall health Reform will support them with added Long Term Care solutions. And we now know THAT is not going to happen. There are no plans in spot to aid our nation’s seniors feel they will receive the comfort and dignity of sufficient lengthy term care services. What is worse is the silence shared by all our political leaders. The silence is now deafening.
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