by Admin
7. September 2009 11:12
10 million Americans need assistance in order to maintain the best possible quality of life. It is sometimes the smallest act of washing clothes or getting in and out of the shower, which are most difficult. Guardians know these numbers in a very intimate way. They know that their wards are often impoverished because of spending down to meet Medicaid requirements. Nursing home care is tremendously expensive and can average close to $75,000 per year. The Medicaid line item is busting budgets of states across the country. It is about 25% of total expenditures. Medicaid is the largest provider of funds to pay for long-term services for the frail and elderly. It was meant to help poor mothers and their children..
With health care reform on the table, it would be significant if Congress and the Obama administration included long-term health care into the fix. $250 billion is spent annually on long-term services. Moreover, caregivers who are relatives, without considering the emotional and financial cost experienced by these people, provide most of the assistance.
My mother for example has Parkinson’s. There is no acute treatment for many common diseases of the elderly, so the cost is up to them. If she had an accident, it would be covered. And accidents with the frail are what usually drives them into a costly acute care facility. Her life would be measurably improved if she were able to afford the services of someone to stop in and help her out. Now, it is the kindness of neighbors and a son or daughter from out of town that shoulder the effort. Three out of Four Americans will need the services of long-term care at some point in their lives. Most of us have not purchased a policy for long-term care and if you are sick or old, forget about it.
The late Senator Kennedy offered language that would have current employees paying about $5 per paycheck to buy into insurance. This would reduce the current state cost by at least $50 Billion per year. Others have advocated an expansion of Medicare. Whatever the solution, it ought to be added as a critical component of the health reform act. As guardians, our responsibility to our wards means that we should let our representatives know how critical and costly this issue has become. Making sure they are all covered is in the best interest of our nation.
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