Where We Can Find Real Health-Care Savings
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The July 10 editorial "How Not to Fix Health Care" rightly pointed out that the premiums collected for the long-term care insurance program proposed in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and endorsed by the Obama administration, are not savings to the federal government for health-care reform.
But the editorial failed to mention that the program is projected to save billions of dollars in Medicaid expenditures, because many of those now being funneled into the program would assume responsibility for their own costs in the future. Numerous state budgets are crumbling under the weight of Medicaid spending, and this plan would ease that burden while providing more choices.
The Congressional Budget Office scoring of this legislation shows that a national long-term-care insurance program can be self-sustaining, help individuals stay independent and at home, and save the government money. If that is not part of fixing health care, what is?
SANDY DOUGLASS
Administrator
The Methodist Home
of the District of Columbia
Washington
