John Rother
John Rother
afforded care changes essential federal health opportunity positive rare seize state term trends
State and federal policymakers should seize the rare opportunity afforded by positive demographic, socioeconomic, and health trends to make essential changes in the nation's long term care programs.
access afford aging assisted based benefits care changes choice choices community extend future good growing health highly homes improved increased issues large left limited living news nursing points population restricted term thus wealthy
The report, while being good news for many, also points out that if the issues of the growing and aging population's future long term care needs, are not addressed today, the choices will be limited to the wealthy and highly educated. Access to choices for the population at large will be restricted to those who can afford alternatives to nursing homes such as assisted living or home and community based services. Any changes must extend the benefits of improved health and increased choice to those who have been left out thus far.
counteract discount full hurting impact none price prices programs
Still, none of these discount programs can counteract the full impact of these price increases. Even with the discounts, these prices are hurting people.
coverage joining people rush
There's no need to rush in, but most people will probably be better off getting the coverage than not joining up.
faster inflation prices
Drug prices are going up faster than inflation and we need to do more to keep them affordable.
assisted becoming changing clear create hopefully label living matter popular sign standard
Assisted living is becoming so popular that everyone's kind of changing the sign on their door, no matter what they provide. We thought it was important to create a clear standard ... so that hopefully the label of assisted living won't be used in a way to mislead people.
bipartisan path
I'm cautiously optimistic. I think we can see a path to a bipartisan bill.
concerned industry patients
I think the industry is more concerned about shareholders than they are about the patients who take the pills.
benefits generation investment pay paying private retired saving shifting themselves twice
Shifting to private investment wouldn't be easy. A whole generation would have to pay twice -- saving for themselves while paying benefits to those retired under the old system.
among future high insurance likely negative people percent program risk seniors sign spread
If only 20 percent or even 30 percent of seniors sign up, that is every negative for the future of the program because the people most likely to sign up are the people with high drug expenses, and you don't have insurance if you don't spread the risk among people who are healthy.
higher offset
Clearly, the COLA is not going to be enough to offset these higher costs, particularly in heating,
hope middle ok percent
the middle 50 percent we can hope they'll be OK if things go right.
cumulative effect increases moving price rate row sixth twice year
It's moving in the right direction. I will say that. But this is the sixth year in a row of price increases that are at least twice the rate of inflation, so it has a cumulative effect that I think is pretty serious.
certainly compared consumers explain generic good kept news previous prices reason sure switch
That was a real surprise. Generic drug prices have been kept down substantially compared to previous years. I'm not sure I can explain that, but it's certainly good news for consumers and more reason than ever to switch to a generic drug if you have that option.