The healthcare industry is forever changing. Most of the time - it plods through the administrative processes and actually changes for the better with time. Currently we are seeing trends to step back and return to patient care. This is happening with challenges through Doctor owned hospitals, Physicians who make home visits, and a need to actually touch another person with care and to be of service.
As the healthcare industry moves in those directions we are receiving directives which will make it more difficult to address the needs of those who do not have money. Those who rely on the system.
For years nursing homes and retirement centers have been receiving monies for beds not used. This sounds ridiculous doesn't it? What a waste - why pay for something to just sit there? Yet, the reality is that by reserving beds for medicare/medicaid options it has created immediacy for placement for those who do not have money.
If the current projections of the baby boomers numbers are correct and boomers live to need those services, the for profit beds will fill and there will be no beds available for medicare and medicaid. Now this may not affect you but my observations (unproven and without scientific study) is that the baby boomer generation is not prepared for this. They may not the ability to be for profit.
The other concern is whether clients who are currently in a medicare or medicaid bed but need a short stay in the hospital, may come out of the hospital to having lost their facility's medicaid/care bed. Facilities may hold those beds or may not and this will be dictated by their financial needs.
An option to change this to a positive approach - what a sales pitch for a facility. They could guarantee bed holds for short periods of time to sell their clients on using their facility. Keep your eyes peeled - we do not know where all all will lead.
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