The Medicare & Medicaid Center

Millions of people depend upon Medicare to provide coverage to care for their illnesses and ailments.  With over 45 million people covered by Medicare, there is a big price tag that comes with all of the treatments to help Medicare recipients.  Close to 40% of the individuals covered by Medicare are dealing with ongoing illness – most of these individuals suffer from multiple illnesses and have to be treated for all of these.

In 2009 alone, Medicare will have paid out nearly $475 billion in benefits.  Unfortunately, many of these benefits are paid out for emergency care, or care that is necessary because individuals have not had continuous care for growing health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular issues, high blood pressure and more.  As a result, the price tag for care is much higher than it would be if individuals had been seeing their doctor continually – especially for preventive care.

Most of the costs that Medicare pays out have to do with the individuals who are obviously the sickest.  Then come the ones who have been seeing their doctors on and off for their problems.  Often these problems get worse because they only see their doctors when there are flare ups.

Doctors, healthcare professionals and others – even lawmakers – are focusing more on prevention these days.  It is no secret – and there have been numerous studies showing – that if a person is treated for a health condition and then helped to prevent it from getting worse or if a person is diagnosed early the costs for prevention and/or subsequent maintenance rather than extreme treatment go down substantially.

If there was more of an emphasis on prevention and wellness, Medicare would have to pay out much less than the over $475 million per year that is being paid out right now – especially this year in 2009.

It’s time for everyone in the equation – from doctors, to patients to lawmakers – started to focus on prevention and wellness.  Perhaps that would end the discussion about severely cutting back of even ending Medicare, because there would be enough money to fund the program without dealing with many of the financial issues we are dealing with now.