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ADVANCE Perspective: LTC

Report Outlines How Health Reform Will Help Seniors

Published September 4, 2009 2:54 PM by Heather Simons
A recent report at HealthReform.gov outlines exactly how health insurance reform, if passed, would strengthen health care for seniors and long-term care residents. "America's Seniors and Health Insurance Reform: Protecting Coverage and Strengthening Medicare" outlines, step by step, why the current health care system is ultimately unsustainable and why a reformed health care system would prove beneficial for everyone.

The report included the following ways to reduce health care costs for seniors:

  • Eliminating overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans could save the Federal government, taxpayers and Medicare beneficiaries $177 billion over the next 10 years.
  • Waste, fraud and abuse lead to an increase in Medicare costs for all seniors; reduction in these discrepancies could save $1.3 billion over 10 years.
  • Rising drug costs prevent seniors from taking their medication regularly; health care reform would cut drug costs by 50 percent.
  • Prevention of chronic illness, such as obesity, in people of all ages can decrease Medicare costs down the road.

To read the rest of the article, including more reasons why the current health care system is on shaky ground and how health insurance reform will improve access to care for seniors and long-term care residents, visit the HealthReform Web site here.

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