Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Aging Committee To Examine The Future Of Medicare And Chronic Care Wednesday, USA

U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) will chair a Special Committee on Aging hearing titled, "The Future of Medicare: Recognizing the Need for Chronic Care Coordination," on Wednesday, May 9, 2007, at 3:00 p.m.

The purpose of this hearing is to examine the need for care coordination for Medicare beneficiaries who suffer from multiple chronic illnesses. Approximately 78 percent of the Medicare population have one or more chronic conditions and 63 percent have two or more chronic conditions. This hearing will address chronic care related to the Medicare fee-for-service program. More than 85 percent of beneficiaries continue to rely on the traditional program for their health care services. Currently, the traditional Medicare program does not provide incentives for physicians to coordinate chronic conditions resulting in a fragmented system of care, more frequent visits to the doctor, and higher health care costs.

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