Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Stuart H. Altman, PhD, Dean, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, MS 035, Waltham, MA 02454, (781) 736-3803, altman@brandeis.edu

America's health care safety net is endangered. A rapidly aging U.S. population, enhanced longevity, complex chronic care needs, escalating health and long-term care costs, and growing concerns about the sustainability of Medicare and Medicaid all have critical implications for the future of our society and for individual Americans. Ostensibly designed to serve those who are poor, vulnerable, and/or in the twilight of their lives, the very fabric of the so-called safety net is fraying and becoming increasingly threadbare. Its ability to sustain the heavy burden cast upon it is in serious question.

This session will examine the changing nature of what has been the safety net's warp and weft - entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare that have sustained the health and livelihood of millions of Americans. Thought-provoking commentary will be provided on the implications of public health financing policies such as health spending accounts, Social Security privatization, estate recovery, and the Deficit Reduction Act, and the “ownership society” philosophy that seeks to reconfigure long-held social contracts defining who shall pay for health care for America's poor, vulnerable, and elderly.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify areas where the health care safety net is endangered for older adults.
• Identify potential ways to address the sustainability of Medicare and Medicaid in the future, including diverse financing options.
• Explain the economic and social impact of changing health policies on the health and well-being of older adults.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No