HEALTHCARE REFORM LEGISLATION HURTS SENIORS

The impact of President Obama’s  healthcare legislation on older Americans must be examined more thoroughly.

There are several areas that concern observers who worry about how seniors will fare under the legislation.  The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) has unprecedented power to decide how to ration health care via the mechanism of price controls.  Those concerned with the IPAB’s power have termed the group a “death squad.” The IPAB as the power to fix Medicare payments at so low a rate that doctors and hospitals will have no viable economic choice but to stop providing certain types of treatments, especially those costly or frequent treatments typically required by older patients. 

The legislation replaces doctors with bureaucrats in nationwide healthcare planning. Paying for it’s expensive price tag will require taking urgently needed dollars away from Medicare.  Plans call for reducing Medicare funding by $575 billion over the next decade. Former NY Lieutenant Governor Betsy McCaughey stressed that the White House’s own actuaries admit that Medicare spending per senior will be sharply reduced under the plan, from $16,162 to $14,731 per senior in 2019.

The decisions of the IPAB won’t be advisory.  According to the Obamacare legislation already enacted, those decisions will have the full force and effect of law, unless Congress directly rules against it.  (Stanley Kurtz, a senior fellow at the Ethics & Public Policy Center, in a recently published article, questioned the constitutionality of giving this unelected organization such vast powers.)

The financial impact of Obamacare will be harsh on the general public—except those with political connections.  Organizations that played important roles in getting President Obama and other prominent Democrats elected have received “waivers” exempting them from the harsh costs of the legislation.  These include, of course, groups that raised funds for his campaign, as well as supporters of Senate Leader Harry Reid and (former) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Over the past half century, America has acted forcefully to end discrimination based on race, sex, or ethnicity.  Unfortunately, age discrimination continues to play a harmful role in our society.  Men and women over 50 seeking to find new employment are overlooked with relative impunity. Now, thanks to a heartless new healthcare system, they will also face truly deadly discrimination in receiving medical care, as well.