I’m deeply concerned that the American public, particularly our nation’s elders, will be relying on our government to offer long term care services they’ll never see. They will only see the “smoke and mirrors” of Wellness Care Reform.
Our nation’s seniors are the most vulnerable segment of the U.S. population vulnerable each well being wise and financially. They’re silently discovering the savings they believed would be sufficient is not adequate. They are silently fearful of operating out of funds with no a single to care for them as they come to be more frail. The silence is about to turn into deafening.
Regrettably, when Well being Care Reform proudly announced New Extended Term Care Services, it discouraged a lot of American’s from acquiring Long Term Care Insurance coverage.
The New York Instances reported on ‘Options Expand for Economical Lengthy-Term Care’ THE NEW OLD AGE. The Related Press announced ‘New Wellness Care Law Has Benefits for Seniors’. Point getting, the casual reader was relieved to hear their government will “take care of them” when they have to have extended term care services. We now know that is not about to happen.
Thankfully our representatives in Washington discovered that Health Care Reforms answer to the challenge of Lengthy Term Care, “CLASS”, (Neighborhood Living Assistance Solutions and Supports Act) legislation would have been fiscally unsound. $70 billion in premiums that was anticipated to be raised for the new “long term care” system would have been counted as “deficit reduction”. The extended term care added benefits it was intended to finance have been assumed not to materialize in the initial 10 years. On the other hand, that money was not accounted for anywhere in the legislation.
The new legislation proposed to “trim” $463 billion from Medicare. But Medicare is at present obtaining problems balancing its books currently. But, why does the wellness care bill tell us Medicare can operate additional cheaply going forward without the accompanying reforms?
Our national media gave huge fanfare to the CLASS ACT when it passed. Regrettably the media has offered the CLASS ACT’s demise tiny focus. Now what?
Projections show that the federal deficit is anticipated to exceed $700 billion annually over the subsequent decade. This essentially will double the national and $900 billion represents interest on previous debt. Would the CFO of any important corporation in the United States let the organization he worked for to finish up in this variety of monetary position? Definitely not.
Our officials in Congress have been elected to shield the best interests of the American men and women. “Robbing Peter to spend Paul”, and once once again printing additional currency, has turn into our government’s mantra for the future. However the magnitude of the mismanagement of America’s purse strings has now reached an unconscionable state.
The United States of America cannot continue to mismanage its monetary future. Future Congresses will have to deliver a multitude of future reforms and, regrettably, history tells us THAT will never ever take place. Proposals for financing health reform have been primarily based on far more “smoke and mirrors”. The “Cadillac” tax is scheduled to begin in 2018.
The health care legislation that has been forced on each and just about every one particular of us is recognized to be fiscally unsound. Where do we go from right here? It really is as well quick 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 trouble.
The 535 voting members of Congress shared the responsibility equally. If a single clear pondering, intelligent, honorable Congressman had the complete duty for Well being Care Reform, he or she would not have forced a fiscally unsound Well being Care Reform Bill down our throats.
Now let’s again evaluate how Health Care Reform will perform against our senior citizens.
A most current government report identified that in 2000 there have been 1.8 million out there nursing property beds. As Natural Smart Health came to a close, there have been 1.7 million nursing property beds a net 5 % reduction in out there beds. And, there are no new nursing houses getting constructed.
Right now there is less than 1.five million Americans confined to nursing homes. Reportedly ten percent of these nursing properties are operating beneath bankruptcy protection. It really is nicely known that most of these facilities are understaffed and several don’t have competent assist.
Next, let’s consider that the Alzheimer’s Association tells us the likelihood of creating Alzheimer’s just after age 85 is 50 %. By 2030, they inform us that the quantity of men and women age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease is estimated to reach 7.7 million, a 50 percent improve from the five.two million age 65 and older presently impacted.
The logical query I need to ask is “if we can’t take adequate care of 1.five million people today today, how can we possibly take care of 7.7 million people in 2030?” We cannot. Much more simply put, when you or your spouse or your parent has Alzheimer’s, there is no spot for them to go. Not to be cruel, but if you ever think for a moment about taking in an aged parent with Alzheimer’s into your dwelling, please think once again. Ask any caregiver who’s been by means of it. It really is Assured to destroy any families’ peace of mind and harmony.
Why are not our political leaders actively operating on options? Where’s the outcry? Regrettably our political leaders only align themselves with solvable challenges.
America’s seniors became extra 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 assistance our nation’s seniors feel they’ll get the comfort and dignity of adequate lengthy term care solutions. What’s worse is the silence shared by all our political leaders. The silence is now deafening.