Dear Geezer

Geezer examines what’s in store for Medicare, Medicaid

Dear Geezer,

     I read and hear reports on what “health care reform” will do to Medicaid and Medicare. I also see that Health & Welfare in Idaho is cutting staff and services. My dad is on Medicaid and I’ll soon be on Medicare. Do you have any idea what’s going to happen?

     ~ Gary

Dear Gary,

     A half-joking answer is: “Not a clue.” I suspect not even the expects on either plan know exactly what will happen.

     The best most of us can do is educate ourselves as well as possible and advocate for tinkering with these programs to make them more effective.

     I have been in contact with two friends who know far more than I do. The first is Heather Taber, from SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Advisors) in Coeur d’Alene. She has some helpful indications about changes we can expect on Medicare in 2010 and 2011.

     You can find those for yourself by checking www. doi.idaho.gov, the state website for SHIBA. Or you can contact me directly and I’ll pass along what I have. In the meantime, the Department of Insurance warns us to be “wary of callers representing themselves as federally recognized agents selling health insurance.”

     Don’t buy anything on the phone! Check out deals offered by a caller with credible insurance agents you know.

     As for Medicaid, even professional caregivers are unsure what will happen now. This is especially true given the dire economic cuts our state legislature just made to Health & Welfare programs.

     Bruce Weaver, co-owner of AAging Better In-Home Care based in Post Falls, is very concerned about the future level of service that can be offered to Medicaid clients in light of these budget cuts. The picture may clear up a little in the next three months, but at this point Bruce believes the current levels of support will go down.

     He is convinced, however, that critical social programs like Medicaid will become increasingly difficult to get “as long as we citizens of Idaho are unwilling to raise our taxes. Our legislators can’t seriously consider this idea because they know they’ll be at risk of being voted out of office this November.”

     He is deeply concerned that our most vulnerable citizens, elders, children and the disabled, will not get the support they need if we don’t lessen our resistance to some kind of taxing structure that does “the right thing” by these vulnerable groups.

     I happen to believe he is right. Did you know that Idaho is ranked 51st in America (including the District of Columbia) for the support we offer to lowincome people?

     Health & Welfare administers Medicaid for these very folks. More revenue channeled into valid support programs can have significant and positive impact that will enable some persons to move out of poverty and give respectful, responsible assistance to those who cannot.

     What I advocate here is not popular with many people. And it is a bit off your question, Gary. But not entirely. What happens to Medicaid and Medicare impacts our state in both seen and unseen ways. We need to be serious about finding solutions that help people yet still address the difficult budget problems of our state.

     ~ Paul Graves, M.Div, is founder of Elder Advocates, Inc., a consulting ministry on aging issues. Contact him at elderadvocates@nctv.com or (208-610-4971).