|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizen Opinions & Analysis
No More Senior Moments On The Health Law That Moves
Into Year Two
Senior citizens should lead the way in granting
Affordable Care Act the time in needs to prove its worth
Judith L. Lichtman, Senior Adviser and former President of the
National Partnership for Women & Families
 March
25, 2011 -This week, my mother turns 97 and the Affordable Care Act
turns one. I am 70. If the polls are to be believed, Mom and I are
exceptions in our age group because we support the new health reform
law. That's a triumph of fear over fact -- and it's terribly sad.
Women age 65 and older have plenty to worry about
already: our families' health and happiness; the schools and communities
our children and grandchildren will inherit; the value of our homes; the
security of our retirement savings; and, of course, the health care that
we - and those we love - can access and afford.
The federal health law will eliminate many of our
worries about cost, quality and continuity of health care. But that
truth is being drowned out by fear-mongering talk-radio hosts and
lawmakers with political agendas who get in the way of the best
interests of their constituents.
How will the measure help? My mother takes four
prescription medicines: one to prevent osteoporosis, one to lower
cholesterol and two to control blood pressure. She gladly pays her
Medicare Part D insurance premiums and her medication co-pays -- until
June, when she falls into that prescription drug coverage gap called the
"doughnut hole." At that point, her medications start costing her $400
per month.
Mom isn't alone. Each year, about 16 percent of
Medicare beneficiaries reach the doughnut hole. Drugs associated with
three conditions -- diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and being female --
often tally the costs that land them there.
My mother is lucky. When she hits the doughnut
hole, she doesn't have to take her meds every other day, or choose
between medicine and groceries. But many older women aren't as
fortunate.
The health law already has begun plugging the
prescription drug coverage gap. Thanks to the overhaul, last year those
who fell into the doughnut hole got a $250 rebate, and this year they'll
get 50 percent off brand name drugs once they reach the gap. By 2020, it
will close the doughnut hole entirely.
How else is this measure helping older women? By
making our coverage more secure. Most older women have chronic
conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease or
osteoporosis. Many of us have more than one chronic condition. For women
approaching 65 who aren't yet eligible for Medicare, the reforms make it
illegal for insurers to deny coverage if these women have pre-existing
conditions -- a practice that was commonplace, and devastating, before
this law was enacted.
How else? By making preventive services
affordable.
Mom and I faithfully get annual check-ups and other
tests when we need them. For me, these include mammograms and cervical
cancer screenings. But many older women skip or delay those life-saving
steps because they can't afford to pay part of the cost. Beginning this
year, the health law requires Medicare and other insurers to cover those
basic preventive services without cost-sharing requirements, such as
co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles.
The ACA also helps older women and their families
by closing the lifetime dollar limit on private insurance coverage.
Years ago, my family watched dear friends suffer when a child became
gravely ill. Our friends had to deal not just with the fear and trauma
that comes with having a child in peril, but also with insurance
coverage limits and then loss -- and, as a result, economic instability
that changed the trajectory of their lives. Beginning this year, the
overhaul bans insurers from imposing lifetime dollar limits on coverage.
It's about time.
And the health law is helping all women by
prohibiting insurers from charging women more than men for the same
coverage. That gender penalty was a disgrace, and it cost women dearly
every year of their lives. Good riddance!
When I was young, there was no Medicare. When
Congress established it in 1965, I remember the response. Near-hysteria,
it seemed. Fear-mongers called it "socialized medicine" and confidently
predicted the end of a functional health care system.
Today, there is near-universal agreement among
seniors that it has improved health care quality and access. It has
worked, over time, because we gave it a chance and we gave it time.
I've been an advocate, and an observer, for decades
now. I can honestly say that rarely have I seen messaging as cynical and
destructive as that designed to undermine health reform.
So I say to the fear-mongers: Enough! Stop using
distortions and scare tactics to target my generation, my peers and my
friends.
And I say to my peers: Let's be more discerning.
Let's separate fact from fiction and set an example with clear-eyed
analysis. We saw the hysteria when Medicare was put into place, and
today most of us recognize it as a lifeline. Let's apply those lessons,
and help build a health care system that works for us, our children and
our grandchildren. That would be a legacy to make us proud.
On my mom's 97th birthday, I had one wish: more
time in happiness and good health. For the health law's first
anniversary, my wish is much the same: that Americans grant the time
this law needs to prove its worth. Seniors should lead the way.
Judith L. Lichtman is senior advisor and former
president of the National Partnership for Women & Families.
>>
View all previous columns
by Judith L. Lichtman
|
This
information was reprinted from
kaiserhealthnews.org with permission from the Henry J.
Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser
Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up
for email delivery. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All
rights reserved. |
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
