Posted on Friday, 22nd May 2009 by admin
Older Americans could see big changes in Medicare as a result of a health care overhaul, lawmakers and experts said Tuesday as Congress began working on the sweeping legislation.
Medicare should become the test lab for making the entire health care system less wasteful, experts told a receptive Senate Finance Committee. Savings could be used to strengthen Medicare itself, or plowed into covering the uninsured.
Medicare covers some 45 million Americans who are elderly or disabled, and its policies set the tone for many private insurance companies. The new approach for seniors would stress close follow-up care by their family doctors and nurses. That’s aimed at keeping chronically ill patients from having to be hospitalized repeatedly when problems like high blood pressure get out of control.
Read more: Medicare to play big role in health care overhaul
Tags: Medicare
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