A lot of the talk about dismantling the Affordable Care Act is scaring many people, especially in terms of care for the elderly. Whether you love or hate the health insurance law that has come to be known as Obamacare, there are safeguards built into this law to ensure that everyone has access to a minimum level of healthcare.
We can’t tell what the future will bring, and we certainly can’t determine what type of policies would be best for the country as a whole. That’s why we are not politicians. But we can take a look at what kinds of things have been said and guess how that would impact the senior population.
Here are a few things that we have observed:
President Trump has been forthright that institutions like Medicare and Medi-Cal are not going to go anywhere. While there is tension in other parts of the government regarding these public health insurance policies, President Trump has been an advocate for them.
The Affordable Care Act helped protect patients suffering from pre-existing conditions and gave them access to healthcare without penalty. For example, about 80 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease rely on Medicare for their coverage, and about 30 percent rely on Medicare. Before, if there was a gap in coverage, people with Parkinson’s may have had to pay for medications and treatment out of pocket. The ACA helped prevent that, not just with Parkinson’s or Medicare, but across the board.
We know that there is a majority in Congress right now and that the repeal of the ACA is a very real possibility. We also know that lawmakers have expressed that repealing without replacing would be foolish. We’re not sure what the replacement will entail. If you have concerns about your coverage or that of an elderly family member, get in touch with your representative. While one voice can’t change anything, if the concerns of particular parts of the community are made well known, there is a stronger chance that the needs of seniors will be taken into account.
Right now, Medicare has very little bearing on senior care, and almost no bearing on in-home care. However, when other medical and care costs increase, paying for quality senior care becomes a lot easier and a lot less stressful. Care needs to take all of these things into account if it is going to be effective.
Again, we are not politicians. In a time when political debate is getting very heated, we cannot let this kind of thing get in the way of what we do. Our job here at Paradise In-Home Care is to help you and your family to keep elderly loved ones as safe and happy as possible. The care and compassion that we give has nothing to do with politics or anything of the like. This guide above is meant to help inform you as to what is going on, and alert you to how potential changes may impact your family. Political feelings change, but the love that you have for your family does not.
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