Insurance Agent Forum

[Never_a_dull_moment]

There is going to be some major healthcare reform over the next few years. Groups from every political spectrum are in favor of healthcare reform.

Every adult American (regardless of political affiliation) knows that there's no free lunch. World-class healthcare cannot be pulled out of a hat. Whether we're talking about President-elect Obama's healthcare proposals, Sen. Clinton's proposals, or Sen. Baucus' recent white paper on healthcare reform, they're all founded upon getting more people "into the system" as a means of increasing healthcare dollars and cutting costs; with an eye on improving quality in the long run.

Sen. Baucus' "healthcare reform" proposals are the most far-reaching of any proposals that have been put forth by other politicians. He is mandating that every American have some kind of health insurance coverage--whether it be employer-based, individually-owned, or part of Medicaid, SCHIP, or other gov't program.

Sen. Baucus' 98-page proposal on "healthcare reform" had only two pages that discussed "long term care reform". Those 2 pages make very interesting reading. Essentially, his recommendations for "long term care reform" are:

1) Make Medicaid more efficient and cost-effective
2) Allow Medicaid beneficiaries to be able to receive care in the community (instead of just nursing home care)
3) Make long term care insurance more affordable and accessible.

He summarizes his "long term care reform" proposals in one paragraph on page 80 of his report. He states, "Achieving ultimate success will require both public and private solutions. While we consider options to improve the care in our public programs (i.e. Medicaid), we should also explore policies that make quality long-term care insurance products more affordable and accessible."

No one is proposing a "universal long term care program". During the presidential campaign, both Senators Obama and Clinton came out in favor of strengthening consumer protections for long term care insurance and encouraging the purchase of long term care insurance. Sen. Clinton even proposed a 50% tax credit for long term care insurance.

As we work through the reform of our country's healthcare system, keep in mind that "healthcare reform" is NOT the same as "long term care reform".

To read Sen. Baucus’ white paper on “healthcare reform” click the following link:

Www dot tinyurl dot com/Baucus-Healthcare-Reform


Scott A. Olson