Amid the variety of topics President Obama discussed in his State of the Union address Tuesday night, the Commander in Chief did touch on the need to address the rising cost of health care.
Acknowledging rising costs of health care are the biggest driver of the nation’s long-term debt, Obama expressed that those who care about Medicare and how it impacts retirement security must “embrace the need for modest reforms.”
“We’ll bring down costs by changing the way our government pays for Medicare, because our medical bills shouldn’t be based on the number of tests ordered or days spent in the hospital,” he said. “They should be based on the quality of care that our seniors receive.”
The President’s statement about quality of care has garnered applause from within the industry, specifically from the national Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC).
“We are pleased and optimist about President Obama’s remarks in his State of the Union address pertaining to reforming Medicare by shining the spotlight on what is most important—the quality of care that seniors receive,” said Val J. Halamandaris, president of NAHC.
To ensure the retirement security of current and future retirees, Obama also expressed the need to embrace Medicare reforms, lest rising health care costs jeopardize the financial future of generations to come.
One way to address such reforms, according to Halamandaris, could depend on tech-based care services.
“Caring for seniors using telehealth technology in the comfort of their own homes is the most cost effective way to reform Medicare and Medicaid by minimizing the need for hospitalization,” said Halamandaris.
Written by Jason Oliva