Medicare Cuts Could Cost More In Long Run
There have been discussions about how to make Medicare work better since the beginning of time, or at least since the beginning of Medicare. There are always at least two types of people when it comes to any situation - optimists and pessimists. Somewhere in the middle lie the realists, and somewhere in another part of the middle lie the critics.
These days, with a new president and congress left with billions, no, make that trillions of dollars in debt to unscramble, there are some major, essential programs that are being looked at under the proverbial microscope. One of those programs is Medicare.
Trying to balance trillions of dollars in debt while keeping as many essential programs in tact is basically a difficult, if not impossible, task. However, the attempt is being made.
In fact, the situation is so important and so serious that week after week since before this president took office, there have been new proposals on his desk, new meetings, new debates and new issues regarding Medicare and the cuts that will surely have to happen to keep the program solvent.
One of the problems is that for as many individual lawmakers that there are working on this, there are just as many opinions as to what should stay, what should go, and what could be reshaped and trimmed a little but not deleted from the program. Then there's the factor of who's on the right, who's on the left and who is trying to be bipartisan.
The biggest issue with Medicare is that some of the cuts being suggested involve ongoing care for those who are seniors and those who are disabled. This may not sound too bad, except that ongoing care is the backbone of health care. If a senior on Medicare is able to have ongoing care through the same doctor, statistics show that they will usually stay out of the hospital or, at least, they will be in the hospital less often. Statistics also show that if seniors are able to access as many outpatient opportunities as possible, this will also prevent serious health issues that would land them in the emergency room or the hospital - possibly for a long, expensive stay.
Some of the smaller things that are being considered to be cut and not just trimmed could be the difference between the continual care that seniors and individuals with disabilities need and having to more frequently go to the emergency room or have a hospital stay. Instead of saving money, this would end up costing more in the long run - and maybe even in the short run. Most outpatient procedures and services are nowhere near as costly as even one trip to the emergency room, much less a stay in the hospital for a few days or weeks. Outpatient care has proven to be preventative in most cases, and it is important for lawmakers to really look at the long term consequences as to what they are or are not cutting.
This, as lawmakers and the president know, is an urgent situation. That is why they are working on it day and night and will most likely not pass any new legislation until after the August break. They know that they have to get this right, and it is good to know that they are working hard to try to do so. Let's just hope they don't miss the forest for the trees.
