The Smoke and Mirrors of Elder Health Care Reform

I'm profoundly afraid that the American people, particularly our elderly, will depend on our government to deliver long-term care services that they will never see. They'll just see "smoke and mirrors" when it comes to Health Care Reform.

Our country's elders are the most vulnerable portion of the population, both physically and financially. They are quietly learning that the funds they assumed would suffice are insufficient. They are privately concerned about running out of money and having no one to care for them when they age. The stillness is starting to become unbearable.

Unfortunately, when Health Care Reform boldly promised New Long Term Care Services, many Americans were deterred from getting Long Term Care Insurance.

'Options Expand for Affordable Long-Term Care,' according to the New York Times. THE

BRAND NEW OLD AGE According to the Associated Press, the 'New Health Care Law Has Benefits for Seniors.' To summarize, the average reader was glad to learn that their government would "take care of them" if they need long-term care services. We now know that this is not going to happen.

Fortunately, our elected officials in Washington learned that Health Care Reform's solution to the issue of long-term care, "CLASS" (Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act) legislation, would have been economically irresponsible. The $70 billion in premium increases planned for the new "long-term care" scheme would have been classified as "deficit reduction." It was expected that the long-term care benefits it was meant to support would not materialize within the first ten years. However, that money was not mentioned in the Act.

The new measure proposes to "cut" $463 billion from Medicare. However, Medicare is now having difficulty balancing its accounts. However, why does the healthcare plan claim that Medicare can function more inexpensively in the future without the necessary reforms?

When the CLASS ACT was approved, our national media made a big deal out of it. Unfortunately, the media has paid little attention to the downfall of the CLASS ACT. What happens next?

According to projections, the government deficit will approach $700 billion per year during the next decade. This effectively doubles the national debt, with $900 billion representing interest on the prior debt. Would the CFO of any big organization in the United States allow his company to wind up in this financial situation? Certainly not.

Our representatives in Congress were elected to represent the greatest interests of the American people. "Robbing Peter to pay Paul," and printing more money, have become our government's future credo. However, the enormity of America's fiscal incompetence has now reached terrible proportions.

The United States of America must stop mismanaging its financial future. Future Congresses will have to give a slew of future improvements, which, unfortunately, history tells us will never happen. Proposals for funding healthcare reform relied on even more "smoke and mirrors." The "Cadillac" tax is set to go into effect in 2018.

The healthcare law that has been imposed on all of us is recognized to be economically unwise. What are our next steps? It's much too simple to blame the President and his administration. Nonetheless, Congress is responsible for enacting Health Care Legislation. And THAT is the issue.

The duty was shared evenly by the 535 voting members of Congress. If a single clear-headed, competent, and honest Congressman had sole responsibility for Health Care Reform, he or she would not have pushed a financially irresponsible Health Care Reform Bill down our throats.

Let us now ponder how Health Care Reform will affect our older folks.

According to the most current official statistics, there were 1.8 million available nursing care beds in 2000. As the year 2010 came to a conclusion, there were 1.7 million nursing home beds available, representing a net 5% decrease in available beds. Furthermore, no new nursing homes are being constructed.

There are now fewer than 1.5 million Americans in nursing homes. According to reports, 10% of these nursing facilities are under bankruptcy protection. It is commonly known that most of these institutions are understaffed, and many lack skilled personnel.

Consider that the Alzheimer's Association estimates that the risk of having Alzheimer's beyond the age of 85 is 50%. They project that by 2030, the number of persons aged 65 and older with Alzheimer's disease would be 7.7 million, a 50% rise from the 5.2 million now afflicted.

The obvious question is, "If we can't care for 1.5 million people now, how can we possibly care for 7.7 million people in 2030?" We just cannot. Simply stated, if you, your spouse, or your parent gets Alzheimer's, they have nowhere to go. Not to be unkind, but if you ever consider taking in an elderly parent with Alzheimer's into your house, please reconsider. Ask any caregiver who has been there. It is GUARANTEED to disrupt the peace and harmony of any family.

Why aren't our elected officials actively seeking solutions? Where is the uproar? Regrettably, our political leaders only connect themselves with issues that can be solved.

Seniors in America felt more optimistic after learning that Health Reform would provide them with more Long-Term Care services. And we already know that will not happen. There are no preparations in place to ensure that our country's elders have the comfort and dignity of proper long-term care services. Worse, all of our political leaders have remained silent. The stillness has been deafening.

There is now renewed optimism on the horizon. A new presidential election is just getting started. What do the Republican and Democratic candidates have to say regarding the need for long-term care services among our country's seniors? What do they think about the 7.7 million Americans with Alzheimer's disease who need a place to stay and be cared for when we can't care for 1.5 million seniors today?

The national media should begin broadcasting that our country's elders will have nowhere to stay when they get too old or fragile to care for themselves. The forthcoming election also provides another chance for our political leaders to focus on our nation's elderly and their need for long-term care services.

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