ACA Benefits the Elderly: How the Health Care Reform Act is Helping Our Senior Citizens

In the past 200 years, life expectancy in America has pretty much doubled. People used to live to 50 if they were lucky and now we have 100 year old men. 

The fact that we can grow old enough to see our grandkids all grown up now is often contributed to science and health advances. Another thing that adds to this is great healthcare America has to offer in social security and of course prescription drugs and nursing homes.

Of course, not everything is all and well for our seniors. Before the Affordable Care Act was passed, many retirees would struggle to receive proper health care and prescriptions not to mention that not all nursing homes are created equal. With grandpa working everyday for 60 years, he very much deserves better.

There is good news though. With the Affordable Care Act, things only seem to be looking up for the elderly. This can be seen with the two common types of health insurance used by senior citizens – Medicare and Medicaid.

Medicare is essentially a private, more upscale insurance provider, and Medicaid is essentially a government assistance program. 

With the Affordable Care Act in play, both of these programs will see vast improvements. In addition, the overall health and living of our senior citizens is also expected to improve thanks to a few specific features of the bill. 

Improvements to Their Lives

We all care about grandma and grandpa and with recent polls suggesting that one if not both of a married elderly couple is 50% expected to make it to the age 95, it is quite a relief to know they will be here awhile. 

However, with age comes new responsibilities and as the old get older it tends to be harder for them to take care of themselves let alone the big house they live in.

Thankfully, there are a few options, including such solutions as live-in care providers. Like their title suggests, they provide care to the elderly at their home. 

Another option is nursing style homes and retirement centers -- something many insurance companies have covered in the past, but with the new health care b ill they now are required to provide more information amongst other things to help you be sure that grandpa gets the care he deserves.

Other benefits to our elderly are the drastic decreases in price for prescription medication -- something that we believe to be long overdue. It is a relief to know that they can get the medication they need at a reasonable price. All this and more can be attributed t the Affordable Health Care Act, which is long overdue in this country.