Baby-boomers and the U.S. Health Care System

For the ago few decades the term baby-boomers has never left the headlines. There ar some(prenominal) reasons why this coevals of the Statesns always attract the spotlight. First of every(prenominal) this generation comprises a signifi keept chunk of the U. S. population. Furtherto a greater extent, children born to this group were the ones who grew up and became involved in the cultural-changing razets of the 1960s. This is the same generation that raised volunteers and soldiers to the infamous Vietnam War.In order to fully appreciate the representativeake of this generation to current history it must be noned that former president Bill Clinton as strong as incumbent president George W. Bush be farseeing to this demographic. In recent quantifys the baby-boomers be again in the gl be of publicity because this segment of the population is threatening to negatively impact the U. S. wellness caveat system. The future(a) four binds provide differing views on the said s ubject matter. This paper go forth harbor a closer look at the baby-boomer generation and its impact on the health make out system.This can be achieved by comparing and contrasting four articles taken from advanced York Times and MSNBC News. The four articles reveal important reading closely this demographic while at the same clip supply necessary data that testament help readers scramble an everyplaceview of the problem as well as possible solutions. The worlds media is word picture a grim picture of the future, that baby-boomers are to blame for the imminent crisis that exit wallop the U. S. health fretfulness system. Is in that location truth to the claim or is thither anformer(a) way to read the facts?The following articles provide different perspectives on the subject of baby-boomers in relation to the health cathexis system. For the first article that get out be examined, MSNBCs Tracie Potts wrote a report entitled Boomers to gormandise medical dish out syste m. There is all if no way to misinterpret what she meant by that. For a long metre now the United States of the States is bracing for a orgasm storm. In a few much eld there leave aloneing be a significant number of ageing Americans who will retire and come looking for the long promised retreat benefits and a major part of it is doorway to quality health keeping services.Tracie Potts asserts that there is a strong possibility that many an(prenominal) of those who will retire is in for a big disappointment and she pull down declared that if things will non be corrected in the near future then America should be ready for an impending crisis. Michelle York on the other hand wrote that aside from the usual problems of lacking strait-laced medical insurance and the impact due to sheer numbers racket of baby-boomers that will be needing health wish well there is another think problem the lack of medical practitioners that will be able to take care of them.Aside from faci lities and medical supplies the most important part of the equation are the doctors. Now, everyone knows that doctors are in the handicraft of providing care and just akin other originals they will not cut back for free. There maybe some rare instances where a doctor will be driven by compassion noneffervescent still the most generous will realize that they drive home to lucre back that huge loan incurred to hand tuition fees in medical school. They cannot be forced to go where there is greatest need they will lone(prenominal) consider moving into an area where they can too get the most out of their time and hard rub down.Now there is a problem when it comes to retirees. A person finally quitting the perish force in order to enjoy doing the finer things in life will control to settle in areas where the follow of living(a) is lower in order to stretch their retirement funds. That is a good plan the only problem is that in these places doctors are hard to find. The t hird geological fault up that will be examined was written for the New York Times. ONeill entitled the article this way, Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? Itll greet You. In this report ONeil discussed that baby-boomers are not stupid and that they work hard during their youth and pre-retirement age to save enough money so that they can afford not to work and thus far consort quality lives. But ONeil cautions that for those who will opt out of the work force before the hop on of 65, there is one more thing left to do and it is to set aside $100,000 or more to cover health insurance until they qualify for Medicare. Suddenly retirement is not as fun as one would think, especially for those who did not do their homework when it comes to long-term care insurance.There are just so many things that Medicare will not cover. Rick Lymans article significantly differs from the triplet already mentioned. His piece is the silver lining behind the clouds. He admits that baby-boome rs will create a deep impact in American society but he believes that the doomsayers are exaggerating and therefore Lyman declared, Census Report Foresees No Crisis everyplace aging Generations health. The following pages will take a closer look at the said four articles. Boomers Tracie Potts warns that in the coming years there will be one thousand thousands of baby-boomers that will flood the U.S. medical system. The problem according to her is that the health care system in this country is not yet ready for a sudden rise in the numbers of retirees. In order to understand the earnestness of the problem Potts reminded her readers that there are approximately 78 million Americans that will turn 65 years old soon. Seventy-eight million is already the population of a small country and realizing the size of this demographic can easily scare anyone especially if the one reading the report belongs to the younger generation t expected to work in order to sustain Americas current heal th care system.Potts reiterated her concerns, We face an impending crisis as the growing number of one-time(a) patients, who are living longer with more complex health needs, increasingly outpaces the number of health care providers with the knowledge and skills to take care for them capably (2008). The report listed the following common problems associated with senior citizens who had a misplaced trust in Medicare and retiring without sufficient knowledge that having Medicare will not be enough as seen in the following facts 1. There arent enough specialists in gerontological medicine 2. Insufficient training is available3. The specialists that do exist are underpaid 4. Medicare fails to provide for group care that many elderly needs and 5. Medicare may even hinder seniors from getting the best care because of its low reimbursement rates (Potts, 2008). Included in this report is another piece of bad news coming from the American Medical Association who provided the heads-up, This July, the government will find steep cuts in Medicare physician payments, and 60 percent of physicians say this cut will force them to limit the number of new Medicare patients they can shroud (Potts, 2008).In this article one can see the problems the great influx of senior citizens needing quality healthcare and the inability of the U. S. Federal government to provide for that need. This article is an important contribution in any study regarding boomers and their impact on the U. S. medical system. Potts was able to go into the nitty-gritty of the main issue. It was informative and well-balanced reporting. The reader can finish evaluating the article and come away with key points such as the inability of Medicare to cover all medical needs even if the person is already 65 years old and eligible for this fibre of medical insurance.Another major contribution of this article is in addressing the need for more happy specialists. The lack of trained specialists can easily increas e the cost of health care expenses. Medical Professionals In a related article Michelle York focuses on the medical problems of baby-boomers living in the State of New York and she wrote, At a time when the aging baby-boomer population finds itself in need of more medical services, fewer young doctors want to work in many of the trouble cities and towns throughout New York State (2007).This is understandable because a medical professional has to earn a living too and there is no incentive that will entice them to make out to work in distressed cities and towns in dire need of medical professionals. The following figures describe a upset course of action that although there is an increase in the number of licensed physicians this rise in numbers will not solve the problem outright and here are the translations In New York there is a 6 percent growth in the number of doctors practicing medicine from 2001-2005 for a total of about 77,000 doctors but the way they are spread thro ughout the state means there are many who will not have access to their expertness There is a glut of doctors in richer areas like New York, Long Island, and Westchester and far few chose to practice in the upstate region. For instance in the Essex County in the Adirondacks, they lost 22 percent of its doctors as of latest count The remaining doctors who chose to stay in distressed areas are in any case ready to retire some are already 55 or older but the problem is recruiting replacement is extremely difficult. Young medical practitioners find these areas non-viable and unattractive (York, 2007). This article is also very informative. It allows the reader to see the boomer issue from another angle. The usual points for discussion when it comes this topic usually centers on medical bills, expensive treatments, and expensive drugs. As a result there are laws that were passed specifically addressing the said problems.Lawmakers will continually strive hard to lower prices of medic ines and find ways to build bankrupt hospitals. But Yorks article diverts attention to these common problems and instead focuses on something that is far more dispute there are no doctors in distressed areas. Now how can the federal government solve this problem? Lowering the price medicine can be considered a very easy attempt as compared to convincing a very driven young doctor to live in areas where he knows he will not be able to pull as much money as he would have if he decides to live in the big city.Suddenly York made everyone sit-up and realize that this is a problem that selects a complex set of solutions and that the government should start working on it now because time will come when even old doctors serving in upstate regions and far flung counties will have to hang-up their hats and say adieu to the medical profession. High Cost of Retirement For John ONeil the explanation for the impending crisis is simple. It is simply too expensive to pay for health care. There are so many factors that contribute to this reality.As mentioned earlier there are a limited number of specialists focusing on geriatric treatment. In some areas the problem is much simpler to identify there are no doctors in sight. ONeil adds another reason why it will be much harder for baby-boomers to immediately decide to hang their work clothes and go straight to their favorite fishing hole and he wrote, The dower of companies offering retirees health benefits has plummeted in the last decade, according to a recent report by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.From 1997 to 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available, the drop was especially steep (2006). This means that even if baby boomers are still in the workplace they are no longer contributing to their healthcare plans. ONeill cited capital of Minnesota Fronstin, director of the institutes health research and education program, who said that future retirees are not assured of medical insurance coverag e unless they fall into one of the following categories 1. high-level executive 2. yoke worker in a large manufacturing company or 3. civil servant (ONeil, 2006).There are those who did not belong to any of the categories mentioned above but they have spouses willing to keep working until they qualify for Medicare but there are many who are not as fortunate. ONeil also pointed out that the saddest part is that many Americans, especially those who are going to retire soon are unaware that such problems exist. umpteen archetype that they are covered and yet when they are out their on their own with no other means of support they will be in for a rude awakening because health care cost is not what they expect it to be.ONeils article is a wake-up call for those who may have thought that retirement is the answer to all their problems. No more back-breaking work and all the money needed to drop off for the things that one truly loves doing. ONeil splashed cold water into the faces of those daydreaming about fly-fishing and long hours at the golf course. No sir, retirement before the age of 65 means no access to Medicare and if the new retiree figures in an accident, long-term care insurance is way too expensive. It is also a good thing that ONeill pointed out a fact that more and more companies are diminution their offer of retiree health benefits.It is high time to check if a potential retirees company is offering retiree health benefits or not before deciding to retire. No Crisis over Aging Rick Lymans article offers an alternative view. Although Lyman concedes that baby boomers will still tax the U. S. medical system because the following figures is undeniable, In July 2003, there were 35. 9 million Americans over the age of 65, about 12 percent of the population. By 2030, federal officials predict, there will be 72 million older people, about 20 percent of Americans (Lyman, 2006).Yet Lyman predicted that the outcome will not be as devastating because baby- boomers are aging well with fewer disabilities even as they turn 65. Lyman cited Richard J. Hodes director of the National Institute on Aging who asserts that this positive trend is due to an improved quality of life todays older Americans are better educated and more wealthy than previous generations which accounts for their ability to take care of themselves (Lyman, 2006). Yet Lyman also made a caveat that the growing obesity rate may neutralize the positive trend.This article by Lyman is not only significant because it offers a positive outlook of the current health care debacle but it also encourages many future retirees to be more vigilant when it comes to taking care of their health especially those that are prone to diabetes and obesity. It must be remark that Lymans assertions are establish on the significant reduction in the number of senior citizens suffering from a form of disability. out-of-pocket to the fact that many of the baby-boomers are enjoying great health th ere is a possibility that the impact will be less disastrous.Yet it is also good to know that diabetes and obesity can easily reverse the trend because these two medical conditions can easily transform a perfectly healthy individual into an hinder irregardless if he a boomer or not. Compare/Contrast The four articles are in agreement on the following areas 1. The significant number of baby-boomers will greatly impact the U. S. medical system. 2. Health care cost is rising. 3. There are other factors that contribute to the health care problem and not merely due to the size of the baby-boomer generation.Authors, Potts, York, and ONeil are also in agreement that boomers will break the bank. It is only Lyman who offered a more positive outlook. Although Lyman acknowledges there is a problem he is sure that doomsayers are exaggerating and that actual figure show that boomers are adapting well. Lyman argues that due to the fact that boomers have a higher literary rate as compared to prev ious generations this generation will be able to quickly understand and see information regarding health issues and as a result they will be able to incorporate into their life-style practices that will ensure longevity and good health.On the other hand all four authors are hearty when it comes to the idea of retaining the services of retirees and instead of pushing them out the door. There are a number of industries that require more experienced workers especially when it comes to the medical field it is very expensive to train specialists. So if a retired medical professional decides to work a few more years after retirement his expertise can be used without having to undergo further training. In this way more people will benefit from his services. ConclusionThere is no need to elaborate on the fact that baby-boomers comprise a significant percentage of the American population. Figures vary but it is estimated that there are at least 72 million boomers living in this country. T his demographic can easily command the attention of various businesses but in the past few years it has gripped the attention of health care experts who are predicting a crisis if some issue will not be resolved soon. There is a good reason to be alarmed, 70 million people is roughly the size of a small country.Imagine a group this big and all of its members curtly turning gray and opts to exit the workplace and as a consequence of age and other factors begin taxing the U. S. healthcare system. The four articles reveal at least three glaring facts as to why the aging of the boomer will create a force that will wallop Americas medical system. First of all, even without considering the boomers the U. S. health care system is already in shambles, meaning not everyone can afford medical insurance simply because it is downright expensive.It is expensive to pay for doctors, it is expensive to pay for specialists and it is even expensive to pay for caregivers that do not have any form of medical degree. Secondly, there are simply not enough health workers that will be able to do the job. In the case of the boomers there is an added problem of needing more specialists especially those that specialize in geriatric medicine. Finally, the most disturbing fact of all is that there are many boomers who are unaware that they need to have more money in order to pay for their health care related expenses.It must be noted that those who retire before 65 will not be eligible for Medicare. And yet even if they have Medicare this type of health insurance will not be able to cover everything. All three articles agree that there is an impending crisis unless desperate measures are taken up. This includes enticing retirees not to become unclouded and instead allow themselves to be reabsorbed into the workforce. There is now an added bonus because retirees with their years of experience can ask for part time work or can choose only to do things that they love doing.There is only o ne author who disagree with the doomsayers. But even he gave some sort of tempered optimism because even with a wealthier and more educated boomer generation the rising rate of obesity can still offset the positive trend. All in all the four articles are informative and it allows the reader to get a good overview to one of the hottest social issue in America today. References Lyman, R. (2006). Census Report Foresees No Crisis Over Aging Generations Health. Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http//www. nytimes. com/2006/03/10/national/ 10aging. html?_r=1&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&scp=4&adxnnlx=1213085688-UwMCjf6VJB3QAKV4jZVJ9A ONeil, J. (2006). Want to Retire Early and Hang a Shingle? Itll Cost You. Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http//www. nytimes. com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/ 11gap. html? _r=1&scp=21&sq=baby%20boomer&st=nyt Potts, T. (2008). Boomers to Flood Medical Care System. Retrieved 04 June 2008 from http//www. msnbc. msn. com/id/24107916/ York, M. (2007). Few Young Doctors timber in as Upstate Population Ages. Retrieved 05 June 2008 from http//www. nytimes. com/2007/07/23/nyregion/ 23docs. html? scp=5&sq=baby+boomer&st=nyt