An Added Stimulus

We highlighted in an earlier blog how the (now passed) economic stimulus would help senior citizens and those who are collecting social security. This assistance would come in the form of a $300 check to seniors and social security benefactors. While still true, a last minute addition into the stimulus may end up negatively affecting the elderly.

The addition is the creation of the office of National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, which will monitor medical treatments across the United States. This office is created as a quality control type agency that will oversee doctor's decisions and treatments of particular illnesses or conditions. Doctors can be penalized by a review board should the board find their treatment methods to be too "excessive". Groups such as AmericanSeniors.org believe this stimulus provision to be the starting point towards rationed healthcare which, in their opinion, would unfairly impact senior citizens. They believe that the threat of penalties to doctors will lead to restricted treatment options for patients.

This may turn out to be an extremist view or in a few years a brilliant observance but there is no denying that America's health care system needs an overhaul and an upgrade. Let's all hope that whatever steps are taken do not turn out to be detrimental to our aging society.