Medicare Health Article

Professional implications

During the Clinton administration, several initiatives were started that saved funds for Medicare. The DHHS also supports several initiatives to save and improve the program. However, continuance of the federal health insurance program is still a problem U.S citizens expect legislation to resolve.

Some of the successful initiatives include:

• Fighting fraud and abuse: A great amount of attention has focused on Medicare abuse, fraud, and waste. As a result, over-payments were stopped, fraud was decreased, and abuse was investigated. This saved the Medicare program $500 million in just one year.
• Preserving the Medicare benefit: Due to aggressive action by the HCFA and the Balanced Budget Act, it is estimated that funds have been appropriated to keep Medicare viable through 2026.
• Prescription drug benefit proposal: Health care reformers suggest that prescription drugs be made available through the Medicare program due to the high cost of prescription medication.
• Supporting Preventive Medicine and the Healthy Aging Project: Medicare programs are supporting preventive medicine and diagnostic treatments in anticipation that preventive measures will improve the health of older Americans and thereby reduce health care costs.

Medicare benefits and health care financing are major issues in the United States. Legislators and federal agencies continue to work on initiatives that will keep health care programs in place and working for the good of American citizens.

ORGANIZATIONS

Health Care Financing Administration. United States Department of Health and Human Services. 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201. <http://www.hcfa.gov>.

United States Department of Health and Human Services. 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201. <http://www.hhs.gov>.

Peggy Elaine Browning