Our House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee is always looking for ways to deliver health care at a smaller price. A couple weeks ago, we held a hearing with MedPac, an independent agency that performs studies on how we can improve medicine. They talked about the benefit of coordinated care, which is good for everyone, but especially for senior citizens who need chronic care and often have to go to 3 or 4 physicians. The chronic care coordination provision of the Geriatric Assessment and Chronic Care Coordination Act of 2007, would allow an individual to choose a health care professional to be a care manager. The care manager would be responsible for understanding virtually every aspect of the individual’s health needs and make sure the individual had enough information to make informed health care decisions.
The other benefit of our legislation is that so often with seniors don’t know the side effects of medications they get from different physicians. This bill makes sure that the medicines you get from different doctors don’t conflict. In the long run this will also show cost benefits for the patients.