2018 Press Releases

Proposal Outlining Premium Hikes for Older Adults, “Short Term” Insurance Falls Short of Care We All Need as We Age, AGS Experts

Geriatrics health professionals remain concerned that increasing costs for people in their 50s and 60s and expanding access to insurance lacking minimum protections could raise costs and jeopardize care quality.

New York (Mar. 13, 2018)—Experts at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) expressed concern over recent proposals by the Trump Administration to increase health insurance costs for older adults purchasing coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace and to expand so-called “short-term,” limited-protection health insurance. Such coverage—which would not be subject to important protections under present law safeguarding essential benefits and coverage for pre-existing conditions—risks increasing costs and the stability of health coverage at a time when more Americans than ever before are poised to benefit from increased longevity thanks to better care.

“We oppose changes that increase costs and impede access to key services for older Americans, families, and caregivers,” noted AGS Chief Executive Officer Nancy E. Lundebjerg, MPA. “We agree that health care can be improved, but that can’t happen with ‘short-term’ solutions that short-change our options, benefits, and costs.”

AGS Responds to President Trump’s FY 2019 Budget Request

New York (Feb. 16, 2018)—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) expressed deep disappointment with proposed cuts that could curtail training for the health professionals we all will need as we age, as well as impede a range of services for older adults—all outlined by President Trump in his budget plan for 2019.

Among several concerns, the AGS noted that the budget would eliminate $451 million from training programs that educate family caregivers, as well as our doctors, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, social workers, and many other health professionals essential to our care as we grow older. While Congress has ultimate say on spending, the Trump proposal is already premised on a flawed assumption that “[t]here is little evidence that these programs significantly improve the Nation’s health workforce.”

The AGS remains especially concerned about the potential impact of cuts to the Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) under Titles VII and VIII. This is the only federal program aimed at improving the quality, safety, and affordability of our care by increasing the number of professionals with the skills needed to preserve and promote health, safety, and independence for all older Americans.

For 260,000 Older Adults Hospitalized with Hip Fractures, New Virtual Platform Gives Local Roots to AGS CoCare: Ortho Program

New York (Feb. 15, 2018)—With support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) today launched ortho.agscocare.org, a site providing resources and tools for hospitals interested in implementing the AGS CoCare: Ortho model. By helping health systems integrate geriatric and orthopedic expertise as soon as possible, AGS CoCare: Ortho seeks to improve care and lower health costs for the 260,000 older adults hospitalized annually with hip fractures.[1] Offering more than 30 self-directed training modules and access to a portfolio of tools, resources, expert mentoring and guidance opportunities, and a strong networking platform, the new AGS CoCare: Ortho site will help geriatrics-orthopedics leaders learn to identify and reduce the risks for everything from falls and delirium to infections and increased mortality for hip fracture patients.

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