A recent proposal by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services suggests that Medicare spending be cut from nursing homes by $1.05 billion over the upcoming fiscal year. The program projects cutbacks of $7.23 and $18 billion over the next five and 10 years, respectively. If instated, the program would have a tremendous impact on the number of elderly Americans entering and retaining residence in nursing homes each year, the consequences of which would undoubtedly influence Oklahoma Medicare supplement packages.
Although the goal of the reform is to cut Medicare costs for new and existing senior citizens, the number of people in need of individual Medicare would rise indefinitely if the proposal were to pass. Meaning, if nursing home funding were cut so extensively, the volume of citizens living in homes would likely decrease, which would ultimately spread thin the “new” funding available for individual Medicare.
Finding an Oklahoma Medicare supplement plan that fits your needs is incredibly important. In the wake of this new potential legislation, supplement packages have never been more necessary. In Oklahoma alone, there are over 350 nursing homes. Within the past decade, nearly 100 of these institutions have been forced to close due to lack of funding, leaving their residents and care professionals to fend for themselves in a time of unparalleled need.
According to The Oklahoman, cutting nursing home costs is certainly not the most favorable way to go about healthcare reform.
“The Oklahoma Association of Healthcare Providers strongly supports comprehensive health care reform and shares the goal of the administration and Congress to make quality health care more affordable and available. There is a right way and a wrong way to accomplish this goal. Cutting Medicare funding and diminishing choices and quality of care for our seniors at this critical time is most certainly the wrong way.”
The closing of each nursing home means an increased need for specialized medical care among the greater senior population. For this reason and many more, Medicare supplement plans are becoming more imperative by the day. In a world where specialized care can be difficult to come by, let Medicare Supplements For You be your guide.
