2019 Emerging Trends in Charlotte Senior Care
Three foreseeable 2019 Senior Care Health Trends for Aging Charlotte Seniors
According to North Carolina Health News there a three areas of change in senior care that we will see in the next year.
1. Medicaid transformation
2019 will be a big year for North Carolina’s health care landscape, with arguably one of the biggest changes to the state in decades taking place with the move to managed care for the state’s $14 billion Medicaid program. At the state legislature’s behest, North Carolina is handing off Medicaid — the federally mandated but state-managed health care system for poor seniors, children, and disabled persons – to managed care companies and networks to run day-to-day operations.
Under managed care, at least four statewide companies or provider-led groups will be paid a yet-to-be determined per-person rate to manage all of a patient’s health care needs. (Currently, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services uses a fee-for-service model, where the state uses a mix of federal and state dollars to cut a check for every flu shot, operation and doctor appointment.)
As it’s been in other states, the switch is more than certain to be bumpy, given the sheer logistics needed to move a massive system serving 2.1 million people, one in every five North Carolinians, to a whole new way of accessing care. Most of Medicaid’s patients – 1.6 million of them– will switch to the new system by November while a half-million Medicaid patients who have significant medical or behavioral health issues will move to specialized, tailored plans in 2020.
2. Issues surrounding aging and access to care
For people of all ages, 2019 will be the year of a state and national debate on health care access to public programs. North Carolina government, the healthcare industry and citizen advocates, as well as affected patients, will be consumed with the effects of Medicaid transformation in 2019. On the national level, the president, Congress and the political parties will propose changes to programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, SNAP and many more with an eye to scoring points in the 2020 elections.
As “Medicare for all” attracts attention as a political slogan, it’s worthwhile to ask what that would mean in reality. Existing Medicare has countless manifestations, a situation that would likely be replicated in any single-payer or “pay-in” system. Would Medicare-for-all mean Medicare Advantage-for-all? Part D-like prescription drug coverage for all? Billions in tax dollars will be involved in any case, but Democrats will likely argue that the benefits will outweigh the costs.
3. More “orphan” seniors
Look for a group of North Carolina advocates for older people to push this year for increased state attention and funding for adult protective services.
North Carolina county workers have to step in if a resident is financially or physically unable to look after himself, is being abused or neglected, and has no one else to take responsibility. State law mandates this role for adult protective services but leaves the counties to pay for most of it.
This hits some poor areas extra hard, as caseloads are on the rise and as much as 80 percent of the cost falls to counties. The consequence to inaction here can be substantial neglect, or death, in a society where family support for older relatives has waned over past decades.
More often than most people would like to think, older people become victims of neglect and exploitation, often at the hands of family members.
For more information please Click Here to read the full list of 2019 trends
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