|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizen Politics
Senior Citizens Forced to Leave Their Homes by
Medicare Cuts in Home Health Care
Ed Koch, Bob Weiner want home care alternatives to
nursing homes
July 6, 2007 - Former Mayor and Congressman Ed
Koch, and former U.S. House Aging Committee Chief of Staff Bob Weiner,
have joined forces to urge Congress to restore Medicare funding to home
health care that is being cut by the Bush administration.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Medicare, Medicaid May Save $70 Billion in New Bush
Budget Proposal
'He still acts as if Republicans were in complete
control and Democrats had lost the election,' Sen. Rangel (D-N.Y.)
February 2, 2007 President Bush is expected to
unveil his plan next week for balancing the budget and over $70 billion
of the savings are expected to come from Medicare and Medicaid, two
programs of critical importance to most senior citizens. Higher Medicare
premiums for higher income seniors and holding back on the fees paid to
home health agencies, hospitals, nursing homes and other health care
providers are expected to produce most of the savings, according to the
New York Times. Democrats are not welcoming these ideas, finds KaiserNetwork.org.
Read more...
Read more
on
> Politics for Senior Citizens
>
Medicare
>
Medicare Drug Program |
|
In an op-ed today in Newsday, "Congress Must
Restore Funds for Home Health Care", Koch and Weiner say, "As the health
care debate takes off in the presidential campaign and in Congress,
let's not ignore the silent sadness of growing numbers of elderly being
forced unnecessarily into nursing homes."
They point out, In the last seven years, while the
Medicare budget for nursing home stays has dramatically increased from
$13.6 billion to $15.7 billion, home health care has been cut by 25
percent, from $14 billion to $10.5 billion. It is cut further in the
Bush administration's proposed fiscal year 2008 budget, which calls for
an inflation freeze that would slash $410 million in fiscal 2008 and
$9.68 billion over five years.
"Many of us have or have had older grandparents,
parents, other relative or friends living in nursing homes. In nearly
every case, the elderly person did not want to go; many cried over it.
Home care allows the elderly to maintain their
dignity and independence, sleep in their own beds, and stay in the house
they have long enjoyed (or in the house of a child or relative) - unless
their condition deteriorates to the point where an institution is
absolutely necessary."
However, "Home health care doesn't have nearly the
lobbying power of big institutions like the nursing home industry and
the hospitals, they add."
"In addition to providing a higher quality of life,
home health care is far cheaper - now averaging one-fifth the price of
nursing homes and a tiny fraction - 3% - of the cost of hospitalization
according to federal HHS Medicare statistics."
Koch and Weiner conclude, "Senior citizens should
not be forced into nursing homes for lack of alternatives. The new
Democratic Congress needs to restore the priority of home health care
for senior citizens."
Koch and Weiner, who was Koch's legislative
assistant in Congress, say that "national policy has reversed" from
"common sense legislation" Koch and Weiner worked on and got passed to
give senior citizens alternatives to nursing homes -- health care in
people's own homes.
>>
Read the complete Opinion piece at Newsday, click here.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
