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In Switzerland, like elsewhere in Europe, health insurance pays for some preventative measures in young people, some even contribute to a fitness-center enrollment and weight loss programs. Insurance does not, however, pay for systematic preventative visits to older people at home to assess their small health deficiencies in order to prevent bigger ones which accumulate over time.
Our system thus spends a lot of money on few people (who have to move to a nursing home because of a health-crisis, such as falls).
How long will it take until we spend a little money on many people? To prevent falls, we could be checking their eyesight, bone density and balance and inform them how to make their home safe and fit for their increasing frailty.
The medical model, after all, is a reactive one, and it seems, outmoded and expensive too! It could be replaced by a "chronic care model“ (Watch this video to get some ideas how it could work)
Christa Monkhouse
Posts
5 years ago
In the U.S. many seniors rely on the Medicare program as their sole source of health insurance. Though Medicare was established to address acute and to some extent chronic medical issues,many are now trying to reinvent it so that coverage includes preventive and wellness services. This ideally will result in positive outcomes for seniors while saving money in a budget busting system.
ReplyDeleteAs the responsible party for an 88 year old aunt, I believe the silo approach to chronic care management remains the biggest dis-service to seniors relying on the Medicare system (as well as those with private insurance). Impossible to manage quality and costs when services are so disjointed.