SENIORS BIG LOSERS IN NEW HEALTH PLAN

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MEDICAL PLAN RIPS OFF SENIORS

Seniors will be the big losers if this plan is accepted as submitted. Since Medicare was formed 54 years ago, older Americans have been able to avoid disability, live by themselves, and travel. The new health plan will reduce this access to care for seniors, and pressure them to end their lives prematurely, and doomed them to painful years in nursing homes.

The stimulus package passed in February gave considerable funding for comparative effectiveness research. This is the codename for limiting care based on the patient's age. This formula is used in Britain now to deny treatment for older patients who have few years to benefit from the care. Treatment for the elderly will be denied on the basis of age. This should result in denying seniors lifesaving care and keeping them disabled.

It is folly to think that one can eliminate sickness by preventative care. Cancer and heart disease, the two most common diseases of aging, are caused by genetics and increase with age.

Because specialty care costs a lot of money, this care will be shifted to primary care providers. General practitioners will treat your heart disease instead of a specialist. Readmission to hospitals will be more frequent, and death will come sooner.

Since there will be less access to medical care and to specialists, our seniors will be counseled on end-of-life options. Starvation will be included as an option in states where laws allow it. Physician suicide will be offered to patients who are denied care that could extend their lives.

There is a misconception that living longer burdens society. If your father dies at 67 E. spends three times as much on his health care at the end of his life as your mother lives to be 90. The problem is when seniors become disabled, they cost the government seven times as much as a non-disabled senior.

Why on earth is Medicare running out of money? The ratio of seniors compared to fewer workers paying Social Security into the system, has resulted in a deficit in the Medicare budget. Because of this, it has been suggested to push the Medicare eligibility rates to age 70.

COMMENTARY

We have recently seen many articles suggesting that many medical treatments are being performed that are not equal to old treatments. Back surgery is not superior to rehabilitation, prostate tests are not necessary over the age of 70, clinical trials of drugs have not absolutely proven their worth, bypass surgery and stent operations could be replaced with good diet and drugl treatment, hip and knee surgeries are often not necessary and are over done-- and the list goes on and on.

Reducing access to medical treatment as hip replacements, knee replacements and bypass surgery, will cut our seniors lives to be shorter as that of living to a ripe old age. This is not a reasonable solution to the health care problem.

What do you think? Your comments are always appreciated.

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