Healthcare reform -- and the many options for fixing a broken system -- have appeared in the news headlines for months. According to an article in the June issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), Medicare patients -- many who suffer from disabling arthritis of the hip and knee, among other age-related ailments -- may end up facing an accessibility crisis to medical care.
"This is not a just a crisis that is unique to orthopaedics or the field of musculoskeletal medicine," stated lead author orthopaedic surgeon Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, Associate Professor and Vice Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Core Faculty of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at the University of California, San Francisco. "The challenges faced by the Medicare program are impacting everyone who provides or receives care through this vehicle."
In the fiscal year 2010, Medicare will provide health insurance to 47 million individuals who are older than 65 years, are disabled or have end-stage renal disease, at a cost of roughly $510 billion, and as time goes on, that cost will continue to sky-rocket.
"One of the primary goals of orthopaedic surgical procedures, particularly in elderly patients, is to restore mobility and improve quality of life," said Dr. Bozic. "If the financial problems currently facing the Medicare program, are not addressed by all parties involved, we will face an accessibility crisis that may prohibit the patients who are most likely to benefit from our care from receiving it when they need it the most."
Bozic adds that patients, physicians, policymakers, and the federal government are all affected by the current Medicare crisis, and the solution to this crisis will only come through collaboration among each of these stakeholders.
The JBJS article highlights a three-pronged problem:
Estimates show that by 2017, almost 20 percent of the United States economy -- more than $4 trillion -- will be spent on health care.
"In 2008, the cost of health care increased two times the rate of inflation, and it is expected to increase at similar rates for the next decade unless something is done," added Dr. Bozic. "Whatever measures are taken to rein in Medicare costs will ultimately benefit patients as well as physicians," he concluded.
Among a few solutions, Bozic and his co-authors suggest:
"I would advise current Medicare patients as well as those who one day may be enrolled in the program to take a proactive role in their healthcare," added Bozic. "The more educated our patients are about their health and the resources that are used to provide their healthcare, the more of a conversation-starter it can be with their physicians, friends and family. I urge patients, their caregivers and family members to engage in an active dialogue regarding their healthcare decision making."
Disclosure: Dr. Bozic serves as a consultant to the Pacific Business Group on Health, the Integrated Healthcare Association, United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (as a member of the Medicare Evidence Development and Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC)).
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Materials provided by American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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