IN THIS ISSUE

This month, Better Health News talks about what gets in the way of having good-quality healthcare access.

First, we cover some events that have had unexpected results.

Then, we focus on a group that seems to be forgotten sometimes these days: near-seniors aged 55 to 64.

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Ever tried to make a specialist doctor’s appointment and found a six-month waiting list?

Ever rush to have a prescription filled and found that the pharmacy only has one pharmacist and he or she’s out to lunch?

As frustrating as these problems are to us—the patients—they’re just as frustrating for an often-forgotten part of our healthcare system: the workers. The very people that make everything happen.

When it comes down to it, the US medical workforce does matter, in a big way. Whether your spouse is a hardworking nurse or you rely on a doctor to help you fight being sick, the people that run all our healthcare facilities are the life force behind what’s keeping many Americans alive today.

What’s more, health care spending is expected to reach one-fifth of the U.S. GDP by 2021. In other words, less than ten years from now, 20% of the goods and services produced by our economy will be related to keeping Americans healthy.

With all this new money being pumped in, you might think that healthcare should be easier to get. But that’s not what’s happening. Things are getting scarcer.

And here are 4 reasons why.

Event #1

Well-known Event: Affordable Care Act expands coverage.

Reaction: Doctors scramble to handle the flood of new appointments.

Many argue that the new healthcare law helps millions get healthier, from the child who can no longer be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition to free preventive care services available through private insurers.

But, expanded coverage also means more people will need access to doctor appointments, prescriptions, and procedures.

Expanded healthcare is great for those in need, but someone has to be there to cover your health, when you need it.

Event #2

Well-known Event: America’s baby boomers retire.

Reaction: Old-age ailments put pressure on the system.

Our country is aging to the tune of about 10,000 new 65-year-olds every single day.

Considering that those over 65 use medical services more than twice as often as younger people, it’s easy to see how that shift will further strain the health care system as well as the people who make it work.

Event #3

Well-known Event: Health professional baby boomers start to retire.

Reaction: Less health professionals around to help people.

Not even doctors are immune to the March of Time. While entrance into the medical profession has remained steady, the number of doctors retiring is expected to jump substantially over the next two decades.

What’s more, the generation about to retire frequently worked 70- or 80-hour weeks, including weekends, nights, and holidays. Newer doctors may be less willing to sacrifice their personal lives by working superhuman hours.

Event #4

Well-known Event: Medicaid payments cut.

Reaction: Doctors get paid less, so they adjust their business models.

Medicaid is the state-administered insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans. States have started to reduce the amounts they pay to doctors for serving these in-need patients.

As a result, some doctors are forced to move out-of-state or cut services so they can keep their practices open.

What will this all mean?

One potential outcome is a shortage of qualified professionals.

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that by 2015 the U.S. will be nearly 70,000 doctors short of what’s needed to care for everyone. What’s more, it’s estimated that within two years, America will need an additional 72,000 physical therapists, 40,000 physician assistants, and 57,000 respiratory therapists.

Medical error may increase as well. One recent study found that for each extra patient added to a nurse’s normal workload the rate of hospital-acquired infections went up. Nurses are people too, and when they get over-stressed and overworked, mistakes happen.

Have you been frustrated by medical care access? Or do you know someone who is? Share this article on Facebook or send it to a friend.

A little understanding can go a long way in helping fix this huge problem on the horizon.

Aches. Pains. Creaks. Even if you’re the kind of person who welcomes ‘maturing’ with open arms, you’ll agree that our bodies don’t always come quietly along the way.

The worst part? Healthcare coverage problems aren’t making aging any easier. If you’re between 55 and 64, you might be one of millions of Americans finding it tough to stay healthy.

Near-seniors have healthcare barriers to overcome. Barriers that can stop healthcare access dead in its tracks.

Here are the 3 most common barriers that many near-seniors today have to overcome.

(And even if you have no trouble paying for healthcare, there’s still a tip to reduce your future bills at the end of this article.)

Barrier #1: No Medicare Coverage

The Medicare program doesn’t kick in for most people until the age of 65. And that can be a big problem if you need that extra coverage.

Of course, there are a few exceptions for early entry. You might be eligible early if you meet disability requirements or if you worked in a government job.

But for most near-seniors, Medicare isn’t an option to turn to for more healthcare spending money. In fact, when you compare seniors to near-seniors, it’s the near-seniors that have significantly less access, on the whole, to medical care.

When near-seniors finally graduate to ‘seniors,’ Medicare might have a lot of new bills to cover, all of a sudden.

Barrier #2: Not Having Enough Insurance

Sometimes, even private insurance isn’t enough to cover the medical costs of near-seniors.

One study found that the number of older insured adults who had trouble paying health care bills rose to 15% in 2010. And why’s that? Experts suggest that employers are passing more insurance costs onto workers by forcing them to settle for less coverage and higher deductibles.

And that’s if you have an employer at all.

Barrier #3: Unemployment

Thanks to the economic down-turn, many near-seniors are still without a job. And without employer-supplied coverage, too.

This means that many near-seniors ‘tough it out’ by delaying or forgoing needed health services. That includes preventive care, which is shown to reduce overall healthcare costs for everyone, in the long run.

A Kaiser Family Foundation study found that among uninsured adults aged 55-64:

• 31% had problems paying for prescription drugs,
• 41% delayed medical care or had unaddressed medical needs,
• 34% had not received specialty care that was recommended to them.

Not having health insurance can be devastating when chronic diseases, like heart disease, tend to come up. These diseases require care early, or else they get much worse over time.

No help from the individual insurance market either. If you’re in a higher age bracket and unemployed, insurance premiums may be out of reach for you.

How to Reduce Healthcare Bills: Preventive Care

Have you made it a personal quest in life to find the perfect cheese steak? Is ‘exercise’ a four-letter-word to you? While you may not be able to undo the results of living this kind of lifestyle, you can take control of your health right now.

If you have insurance, one way to build a healthier life is by taking advantage of the new, free preventive services now available, including:

• Colonoscopies,
• Mammograms,
• Pap smears,
• Type 2 diabetes screening,
• Blood pressure screening.

Even though insurance companies must pay for these preventive services, they may require you to schedule the appointment with one of their in-network providers. If you go out-of-network, you could find yourself stuck paying a deductible, or even the entire bill.

Always check your insurer’s guidelines before scheduling free preventive care.

Entering the near-senior years is sure to produce a few pains; healthcare shouldn’t be one of them.

If you know people between 55 and 64, share this article on facebook or by email. It always helps to learn about the challenges of accessing medical care and how to start lowering future healthcare costs.