New National Committee Viewpoints Detail Why Seniors Have A Huge Stake In Health Care Reform Debate

Main Category: Seniors / Aging
Article Date: 24 Dec 2008 - 2:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

"I'm counting the days until I qualify for Medicare." It's a common refrain from millions of older, uninsured adults anxious to reach eligibility seniors who for government sponsored healthcare coverage. Yet, the financial burden of unchecked health care costs system-wide has strained the successful program, leading to growing out-of-pocket fees, cost shifting to seniors and a financial drain on an already challenged economy. Health care reform will be one of the early challenges facing the Obama administration. How will this debate impact seniors in Medicare?

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare has released six policy papers analyzing the health care debate and its importance to Medicare beneficiaries:

-- The Future Cost of Medicare: Why Seniors Have a Stake in Health Care Reform By 2025, over one-half of the average senior's Social Security benefit check will be consumed by Medicare out-of-pocket costs.

-- The Need for Comprehensive Health Care Reform Health care coverage for the average family increased 30% between 2001and 2005 yet income increased just 3% over the same period.

-- Achieving Universal Health Coverage: The Role of a Public Plan All Americans, not just seniors, the disabled and low-income, should have the option of buying a government run health insurance plan.

-- Health Information Technology Computers can improve health care services yet only 17% of doctors use electronic health records and only 4% use electronic prescribing.

-- Improving Practitioner Reimbursement Under Medicare The current physician payment system should be replaced to reward doctors for high quality, cost efficient care while providing seniors access to a full range of medical services.

-- What is Comparative Effectiveness Research and Why is It Important to Medicare? Better information about treatment options, coupled with incentives for doctors to use that information, could reduce health care spending while improving health outcomes.

Full copies of the National Committee's Healthcare Viewpoints can be found on our website at http://www.ncpssm.org.

The National Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization acts in the interests of its membership through advocacy, education, services, grassroots efforts and the leadership of the Board of Directors and professional staff. The work of the National Committee is directed toward developing better-informed citizens and voters.

The National Committee