Monday, June 9, 2014
It’s Time to Face the Long-Term-Care Dilemma
Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Dr. David Blumenthal, president and CEO of the Commonwealth Fund, says that the United States needs "creative new solutions to protect the avalanche of boomers against a huge threat to the quality of their ever longer lives."
"Everyday," he says, "about 6,000 U.S. baby boomers turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare. But Medicare doesn’t cover what can be the largest cost to seniors–long-term services and supports...For many boomers, the only option will be spending down to poverty, moving into a nursing home and having Medicaid foot the bill. To be sure, Medicaid provides a critical safety net for Americans who find themselves in this situation–but is this how anyone would choose to spend the last months or years of their life?"...