What are the problems faced by older adults in the American health-care system?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The proportion of older adults in the American society is increasing dramatically, and the old-old (age 85 and over) are the fastest-growing age group. Today, there is a crisis in health care for older adults for a variety of reasons. Older adults are much more likely to have long-term illnesses. In the 1960s, the Medicare and Medicaid programs were created to pay for much of their medical expenses. However, in the 1980s, the Reagan and Bush administrations decided that the government could no longer pay the full costs of that care. As a result, cuts were made in eligibility for payments and limits were set for what the government will pay for a variety of medical procedures.
Physicians are trained primarily in treating the young and are often less interested in serving older adults. Accordingly, when older adults become ill, they may not receive quality medical care. Medical conditions of older adults are often misdiagnosed because doctors lack the specialized training to recognize the unique medical conditions of old people. Many older adults who are seriously ill do not get medical attention. One of the reasons physicians are less interested in treating older adults is that the Medicare program sets reimbursement limits on a variety of procedures. With younger patients, the fee-for-service system is much more profitable. There also are restrictions on hospital payments under Medicare. Older adults who live in the community often have transportation difficulties in getting medical care. Those living in nursing homes sometimes receive inadequate care because health professionals are not interested in providing high-quality medical care for patients who no longer have much time to live. Medical care for older adults is becoming a national embarrassment.