To order. Today the finance committee focuses its attention on what in my view is the biggest challenge ahead for medicare and the future of Americas Health care system. That is managing chronic illness. To understand why this is a growing issue, one need only to look at how medicare has changed over the years. When the Medicare Program began, in those early days i was codirector of the cancer, full head of hair and rugged good looks. Medicare was mostly about caring for seniors who needed to go to the hospital. If a senior slipped on the Kitchen Floor and broke an ankle for example and head to the hospital, they would get treatment and they would head home. In 1970, nearly 70 of medicare spending was for hospital care. Now that number is close to 40 . The change shows how medicare is very different than it was for four decades ago. Other than broken ankles or new money medical care is dominated by chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes and Heart Disease. More than two thirds of t
Sure the interconnection is fair hearing what start with you, ms. Dempsey in you, mrs. Lehmann to get nonrecord how valuable it would be. We know the debate of who would to be, but one single individual be that go to person to coordinate the array of benefits and services and the like. Lets start with you, miss tennessee. Would be lifechanging. It would be absolutely wonderful to be able to i guess free up some of my time and maybe even relax enough to know that i dont have to follow a step behind out there want to make sure things are done and make sure my care is at the top of the list. If i had one person that is the go to person that would make sure that everything was done correctly and everything was scored dated between everyone else, it is just invaluable. In you, mrs. Lehmann. Not only would it be lifechanging, it would be lifegiving. Because most of my time is spent feeling overwhelmed. Do i call for this . Where do i call for that quiet now looking at longterm care. How are