Older population means increasing disability population
After many warnings about the rapidly aging baby boomer generation were ignored, insurance companies are stating to deal with increasing disabled populations. Canada is especially seeing these changes because of their medical care system that covers everyone in the population regardless of their age or medical condition. Tests and procedures for the disabled are much more expensive than those for younger populations that typically do not see the doctor except for flu conditions. To offset these additional costs governmental agencies are trying to get the disabled back to work but are running into issues with employers. Many employers do not want to hire someone that is disabled, figuring that the disabled are mentally unable to do any work. Even if the disabled are hired they are typically paid a fraction of an able bodied worker performing the same job. This makes it virtually impossible for the disabled to pay for their own medical care and also feed and clothe their families. Programs were put into place to help the disabled to pay for food and other items but because of the recession, all these programs are running in deficit with some being fazed out because of increased numbers of disabled and no money to help them. Substantial work needs to be done to help the disabled and to help the large number of elderly that are requiring the same programs that the disabled are presently using. There is not enough money for all and Congress has to make more money available or the disabled will be forced to live without medical care or access to a pharmacy. (Source: Topnews)
The medical care bill changes are the least of our problems with an ever increasing disabled population. All these programs are running out of money or are rationing what little money is left. Vocational Rehab which has been helping the disabled get back to work are finding that they can only help those that are presently in the program. Any new people are being put into a queue that may or may not be funded this year or next. So we will have large groups of people that want to get back to work but cannot even talk to a counselor because there is no money to convert cars or put ramps in a home. Decisions have to be made on what will be done to help the disabled and how will funding be increased over time as workers who have been paying taxes over the last 40 years move over to Social Security and disability payments. Somehow we need to get more workers paying into these programs or we will be in deficit. The government has been in deficit for many years and managed to start to pay things off in the 1990s but economic problems have put all these programs in serious trouble.
Many analysts have said that Social Security and Medicare will run out of money by 2030, forcing people into nursing homes or halfway houses to pay the bills. Many of those people will be disabled by that time and will need specialized care if they are remove from their homes. No one knows where the money for those doctors and nurses that can work with the disabled but they must come from somewhere. It is doubtful that the population of the United States will put up with pushing the elderly and disabled on the streets panhandling for money because the governmental programs that were put in place to help them are now of money for good. No one wants to increase taxes but something has to be done or there will be substantial changes that will make the middle class disappear with a divide of services between the super rich and the ever increasing poor population.
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