|
PM&R News
Study Urges New System for Elderly Care
By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 24, 2007; 1:38 PM
WASHINGTON -- The aging baby boom generation is likely to increase the nation's disabled population, and a study says the United States needs a better system to provide care for them.
More than 40 million Americans currently have some sort of disability, the Institute of Medicine reported Tuesday.
And a decline in physical activity and increase in obesity and diabetes in younger generations raises concerns that, as the nation ages, an increasing share of the population will experience disability, the Institute said.
"The number of Americans who have disabilities will grow significantly in the next 30 years as the baby boom generation enters late life," said Alan M. Jette, director of the Health and Disability Research Institute at the Boston University School of Public Health.
"If one considers people who now are disabled, those likely to develop a future disability and people who are or will be affected by the disabilities of family members or others close to them, it becomes clear that disability will eventually affect the lives of most Americans," said Jette, chairman of the committee that prepared the report.
He added: "The sobering reality, however, is that over the past two decades, far too little progress has been made in adopting major public policy and practice advances to reduce disability in America ."
The Institute of Medicine is a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, which is an independent organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific matters.
In a previous report in 1997, IOM said the federal research into disability was inadequate and called for more.
Nonetheless, the new report says, federal spending on this research remains "minuscule in relation to current and future needs."
The study concluded that action "taken sooner rather than later _ is essential for the nation to avoid a future of harm and inequity and, instead, to improve the lives of people with disabilities."
Among the recommendations, the report called on the Congress and federal agencies to:
_Increase funding for research into clinical health services, social, behavioral and other disability problems.
_Strengthen provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that health care facilities are accessible to the disabled.
_Eliminate the two-year waiting period for Medicare eligibility for those who are receiving Social Security Disability Insurance.
_Modify the "in-home-use" requirement for Medicare coverage of durable medical equipment. That requirement now prevents payment for equipment that can be used both in and outside the home, the report said.
_Increase educational programs for health professionals caring for the disabled.
_Develop a system for monitoring the number and types of disabled people through the National Center for Health Statistics, Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics.
New Resident Legislation
From Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., President AAMC
In the week of 3-12-07, Dick Knapp and I sat down with Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and his staff to discuss the “Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2007.” Sen. Nelson joined with Sens. Harry Reid (D-NV) and Joe Biden (D-DE) as the original sponsors of this new bill, which increases the number of Medicare-supported residency slots by more than 1,200 positions in the 24 states where resident physician-to-population ratios are below the national median. During my conversation with Sen. Nelson, I expressed our support for his legislation as an important first step in what we hope will be a progressive movement toward eliminating the Medicare resident cap. At the same time, I made it clear that, while we are aware of current budget constraints, any attempts to finance this legislation from cuts in other Medicare programs in which we have an interest will be self-defeating and unacceptable.
Besides meeting with Sen. Nelson, Dick and I paid a visit this week to Rep. David Kagen, M.D. (D-WI), the only new physician elected to Congress last November. Our goal was to make him aware of the association and our legislative priorities. We also discussed a universal health care coverage proposal he is working on called “No Patient Left Behind,” the fundamental premise of which is to “create a single insurance risk pool, 300 million strong.” Dr. Kagen also shared his interest in disclosing all health care prices, giving every citizen the same discount, and renewing the commitment to cover all children and working parents. Overall, it was an interesting discussion demonstrating that there is growing energy around the issue of the uninsured.
Senate Holds Hearing on NIH
From AAMC
On 3-19-07, researchers from four academic institutions provided testimony to the Senate Appropriations Labor-HHS Subcommittee on the lack of growth in the NIH budget. Their appearance coincided with the release of a new report, Within Our Grasp—Or Slipping Away? Assuring a New Era of Scientific and Medical Progress, which examines the state of NIH-funded biomedical research in the United States. The report highlights how ongoing flat funding is hindering promising research, challenging researchers to maintain scientific progress, deterring young investigators from pursuing research careers, and potentially threatening our nation’s global leadership in biomedical research. Prior to the hearing, Kevin Casey, senior director for federal and state relations at Harvard University; Dr. Brent Iverson of the University of Texas at Austin; Dr. Joan Brugge from Harvard; and I met with the Washington Post editorial board to discuss these topics and the critical need to increase NIH funding. You can read the complete report at: http://hms.harvard.edu/public/news/nih_funding.pdf
Changes that may be seen in Congress after the Nov. 2006 midterm elections. (PDF document)
More PM&R Legislative Update News and News Alerts are on our Legislative News Updates Page
Copyright © 1999 thru 2009 Association of Academic Physiatrists - 1106 N. Charles Street, Suite 201, Baltimore, MD 21201
PH: 410-637-8300 - FAX: 410-637-8399 - Email