As summer draws to a close and the Senate and House have reconvened, the healthcare debate has reached a fervor pitch. Senators and Representatives alike have been bombarded at town hall meetings by constituents from both sides with passionate, often emotional pleas.
While debating the issues is valuable, a lot of the reaction from the general public has been based on inaccurate or inflammatory statements being circulated about what the new health care bill provides for. In an effort to gain clarity, I did some research of my own and would like to share what I found out.
Statement #1: The new health care bill mandates that everyone receiving social security benefits be given counseling about “euthanasia” every five years, resulting in what some have referred to as “senior death panels”.
The Truth Is: The referenced portion of the bill actually describes a modification to Section 1861 of the Social Security Act that adds “advanced care planning consultations” as a voluntary Medicare benefit. This measure allows Medicare to pay doctors for taking the time to talk with individuals about difficult end of life decisions and provide them with better information about their options. In fact, this provision could lead to better communication between doctors and older patients.
Statement #2: Increased government involvement in the health care system will inevitably result in the rationing of services, with senior citizens being the group most adversely affected.
The Truth Is: There is no explicit reference in any version of the bill to rationing health care and the White House has insisted it does not intend to institute a rationing policy. However, despite the intent, critics of the bill fear that high costs will create an environment that leads to rationing.
Statement #3: Obama is proposing a system much like the single payer system in England and Canada.
The Truth Is: The President wants to give Americans the option of government health insurance that will compete with private insurance plans, not replace the entire medical system with a single payer, government funded system. Skeptics maintain, however, that a public insurance plan will drive private insurers out of business, thus setting the stage for government run insurance.
Statement #4: Even if this bill is passed, it will take many years to see any changes in our health care system.
The Truth Is: If the health care bill is enacted in October, it will take years for the plan to go into effect. However, some benefits will start immediately. For example, once passed, the bill will require a minimum level of coverage for private insurers, improvements to Medicare, provisions to decrease administrative costs, and targeted assistance for people ages 55-64.
The healthcare debate is an issue that affects all of us, young and old. As a result, teasing out fact from myth about what the health care bill includes will be of utmost importance over the coming months. As geriatric care managers, it is our responsibility to be on top of these issues and you can count on us to interpret how all these changes will impact our clients’ lives.
