Change: Obamacare to force seniors into nursing homes

by Duane Lester | March 3, 2014 8:50 pm

There are two big consequences coming down the pike for both America, courtesy of Democrats. : After all, they were the only ones who voted Obamacare into law.

Because of the cuts the law makes to Medicare’s home health care services, some seniors will lose that care[1]:

tumblr_mrhjw2wswA1ql928yo1_500[2]

You’re not at home anymore. You’re in my world now, grandma.

The cut deleted exactly 14 percent, or an estimated $22 billion, from these lowest-income Americans over four years. News of the forthcoming cut only trickled out the Friday before Thanksgiving, yet another stunning attempt by the Obama White House to reduce Medicare benefits without attracting notice.

Guess what? We noticed. This cut does irreparable damage to recipients of Medicare’s home health care services, those who are aged, homebound and sicker than the average Medicare population. Indeed, nearly two-thirds of Medicare home health care users live at or below the federal poverty level, meaning they are the most economically compromised of America’s precious senior citizens.

This cut is an indictment of White House policies. Home health care agencies have always provided services to homebound Medicare beneficiaries. No hoopla, but when these Americans needed skilled care, they got it. In contrast to expensive hospital care, critical health care services got into millions of American homes via clinicians. Home health care was – and still is – vital. It is also now effectively gone for these Americans.

But like I said above, the problem is two fold. The cost of home health care is much lower than the care received in a nursing facility, so the cost of Medicare is going to start rising:

Using 2009 as a reference year, Medicare’s average Part A and Part B payment for a home health care visit was $145, compared to $373 per day in a skilled nursing facility or a whopping $1,805 per day in a hospital. In addition, according to one leading expert, skilled home health care services saved the Medicare program $2.8 billion during the most recent three-year period. Approximately $670 million of that savings is attributable to 20,000 fewer hospital readmissions.

So rather than lowering the cost, the price is going up.

Isn’t that the opposite of what was promised? Are we honestly supposed to believe that this was simply an unintentional consequence?

I’m not buying that. Are you?

See also: : WP: “Obama’s Foreign Policy Based On Fantasy, Unicorns, And Pixie Dust”

Endnotes:
  1. some seniors will lose that care: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/feb/28/weber-obamacares-punch-to-home-health-care/
  2. [Image]: https://rightwingnews1.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tumblr_mrhjw2wswA1ql928yo1_500.gif

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