Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said in a recent speech that they need to cut waste in Medicare plans, particularly some Medicare Advantage plans.
According to Johns Hopkins University, Medicare Advantage now covers over half of all Medicare beneficiaries, and Dr. Oz has set a goal of making the cost of an Advantage plan the same as regular Medicare.
According to The New York Times, Advantage plans will receive $615 billion in government funds, about $76 billion more than the government spends on similar patients in traditional Medicare programs.
While the national healthcare debate includes some complex, larger issues, one understandable point Dr. Oz zeroed in on was kayaks. Apparently, some plans allow patients to buy the boats as a means of exercise. But Dr. Oz argued that goes too far.
We’d agree. Funding that particular exercise for senior citizens flouts common sense and generally encourages frivolous spending. Kayaks are fairly expensive, and unless you have a vehicle suitable to haul it or live on a lake, it isn’t a practical way to get a workout.
But as Dr. Oz and others have argued, the idea of letting people on Medicare Advantage plans buy exercise equipment or pay for a gym membership isn’t far-fetched. In fact it’s good for health and what’s good for health in seniors is good for those who cover their medical costs.
In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Oz said one key to reducing costs and improving seniors’ lives is keeping them active longer. He coupled this with seeing that seniors eat healthier – something that the Medicare Advantage push with payment assistance for healthier choices at the grocery store.
In fact, letting seniors buy pickleball equipment (available online, with two rackets starting at $30) and find public courts for free or low fees greatly improves a senior’s life and saves taxpayers money. In theory, people use these bonus funds, sometimes in perks known as “wellness wallets,” for walking shoes or a gym membership and we all save on their medical costs down the road. Taxpayers cover $75 for walking shoes and new shorts now and save thousands on lowering blood pressure and heart attack risk later.
As Oz told Fox News, this could really contribute to the financial health of us all down the road. If seniors, as a group, are healthy enough and work one additional year, it would add a trillion to the economy. We’re skeptical of him here, as he said that seniors who still feel well enough prefer to delay retirement.
“We can get the average American to feel so vital, so with it, so healthy, that they want to work one more year. The value to our nation is $1 trillion,” he said in the Fox News Interview.
While the idea of him crashing a retirement party doesn’t seem like it would go over well, the truth is many people retire as health issues make it impossible to continue punching the time clock. Whether it adds up to $1 trillion, who knows, but seeing more vital seniors is a goal we can all endorse, and that starts, according to Dr. Oz and most doctors, with exercise and staying involved in activities.
For us in Pickens County, a generally healthier senior population needs to be a high priority. The county is adding features at the county park specifically for seniors, who now make up a quarter of our county. (Various online census sites have the percentage of Pickens County residents 65 or older at 23-26 percent), well above the state averages of 15-16 percent.)
But, as critics of this Medicare-allowed health equipment point out, there is no way to track whether a kayak or a pickleball racket ever gets used. And let’s face it, who would cast the first stone over someone failing to stick to a fitness regime?
Hopefully seniors here will use the aquatic center, new walking trails, and the pickleball courts. We aren’t pushing them to return to work, but it would be nice to see the average Pickens Countian being “more vital” in whatever they want to do.
