What does it mean for the future of senior care? - SpecialtyRx
May 15, 2017
What does it mean for the future of senior care?

The swearing in of President Donald J. Trump signals clear change for the healthcare industry. His move to repeal and replace ObamaCare has the public, politicians, and investors scrambling for answers as they anxiously await the details. But for those of us in nursing care, what is there to know—and how will our patients be affected?

 

Until the confirmation of HHS secretary nominee Tom Price (R-GA), it’s impossible to say. Still, folks are already advocating strongly for seniors, ensuring that whatever replacement Trump has in store, the elderly will remain protected. In wake of the inauguration, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society published a number of editorials advising that lawmakers remember older citizens’ unique healthcare needs.

 

Trump’s new administration is obviously in its infancy, but we do know that there are a few plans on the table intending to repeal Medicare and Medicaid-related clauses in the Affordable Care Act. Based on their commentaries, the AGS is staunchly against the move, noting that the proposed changes will inevitably lead to fewer benefits, narrower coverage, and overall higher costs.

 

Representative Price will soon face another confirmation hearing, but in the meantime, the AGS urges Trump’s future cabinet to abide by the following principles to protect seniors and their coverage:

1. Keep healthcare centered on patients as opposed to conditions. This ideological approach is becoming more widely accepted as a superior form of care.

2. Safeguard seniors’ access to continuing support. Without long-term coverage, too many people are foregoing the services necessary to improving their health.

3. Any changes to reimbursement procedures should be backed by evidence, which will protect and potentially improve the wages of workers in elder care.

4. New legislation should help expand employee-training programs, especially for those in geriatric nursing.

 

There are at least six substitutes for ObamaCare being considered, but their approaches to Medicare and Medicaid benefits differ greatly. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if Trump integrates the AGS’s recommendations into his reform plan.

Change is most certainly coming.

 

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the Trump transition.