As the number of elderly Americans soars, Medicare is testing improved benefits for seriously ill seniors
(As many of my readers are in the US I have decided to add more articles that are relevant to their social care provisions. This will be more relevant to them and hopefully of interest to those in other parts of the world.)
Medicare recently announced new rules that may ease the challenges of senior health care. The changes put a new focus on improving treatment of the seriously ill, as well as better planning for end-of-life care.
These reforms are much needed and long overdue. As millions of baby boomers move into retirement, record numbers of Americans are growing older. And these seniors, along with their family members, will need all the help they can get to help them navigate their final days. Here’s how Medicare is attempting to cope with these demands.
The Caregiving Challenge
Right now, the nation’s current caregiving system relies heavily on the efforts of family members—and it falls far short of meeting demand. As a recent amply documents, family caregivers are already experiencing a rising financial, emotional, and career toll. It’s unlikely that the system will be able to meet even greater demand from a growing number of aging Americans.
Seniors who need assistance with daily living can’t get much help from Medicare, which does not cover long-term care. The program restricts its coverage to short-term stays in skilled nursing facilities for seniors who have diagnosed medical needs—usually following hospital stays. Private long-term care insurance is costly and insurers have been leaving the industry or raising premiums as they struggle with higher-than-anticipated claims expenses.
Medicaid is the long-term care insurer of last resort, but that program faces its own enormous financial challenges. And the quality of care provided by many nursing facilities is uneven, at best, and scandalous at worst. The widespread over use of anti psychotic drugs in many nursing homes can amount to warehousing of the worst kind.
More Comprehensive Care
In its first move towards addressing these issues, Medicare announced in early July that it would pay physicians to have end-of-life conversations with patients and their families. This is a major reform, since the program typically reimburses doctors only for procedures, such as testing or treatments.
The details of this rule, which would take effect next year, are still to be finalized. But it’s clear that these conversations are the farthest thing possible from the mythical “death panels” that Sarah Palin and others were talking about before the 2012 elections.
Instead, these conversation can be life panels. Doctors can provide invaluable support and clarity about medical decisions that people need to think about, including the care they wish to receive near the end of their life, and how patients’ families can provide the help and support that are so important.
Medicare recently announced new rules that may ease the challenges of senior health care. The changes put a new focus on improving treatment of the seriously ill, as well as better planning for end-of-life care.
These reforms are much needed and long overdue. As millions of baby boomers move into retirement, record numbers of Americans are growing older. And these seniors, along with their family members, will need all the help they can get to help them navigate their final days. Here’s how Medicare is attempting to cope with these demands.
The Caregiving Challenge
Right now, the nation’s current caregiving system relies heavily on the efforts of family members—and it falls far short of meeting demand. As a recent amply documents, family caregivers are already experiencing a rising financial, emotional, and career toll. It’s unlikely that the system will be able to meet even greater demand from a growing number of aging Americans.
Seniors who need assistance with daily living can’t get much help from Medicare, which does not cover long-term care. The program restricts its coverage to short-term stays in skilled nursing facilities for seniors who have diagnosed medical needs—usually following hospital stays. Private long-term care insurance is costly and insurers have been leaving the industry or raising premiums as they struggle with higher-than-anticipated claims expenses.
Medicaid is the long-term care insurer of last resort, but that program faces its own enormous financial challenges. And the quality of care provided by many nursing facilities is uneven, at best, and scandalous at worst. The widespread use of anti psychotic drugs in many nursing homes can amount to warehousing of the worst kind.
More Comprehensive Care
In its first move towards addressing these issues, Medicare announced in early July that it would pay physicians to have end-of-life conversations with patients and their families. This is a major reform, since the program typically reimburses doctors only for procedures, such as testing or treatments.
The details of this rule, which would take effect next year, are still to be finalized. But it’s clear that these conversations are the farthest thing possible from the mythical “death panels” that Sarah Palin and others were talking about before the 2012 elections.
Instead, these conversation can be life panels. Doctors can provide invaluable support and clarity about medical decisions that people need to think about, including the care they wish to receive near the end of their life, and how patients’ families can provide the help and support that are so important.
Source: Time.com
