Poll: Choice important to seniors, disabled
The
Business Journal, November 14, 2002
Unrestricted choice of doctors and hospitals is the
top concern of 90 percent of the 200 older and disabled people the
Medicare Rights Center said it polled to learn what people with Medicare
value the most in their health care coverage and to learn their
perspectives on the health care system.
The Washington, D.C.-based not-for-profit consumer
service organization said only about half as many respondents said having
a choice of health plans is also very important.
"The irony here is that the government calls its
Medicare HMO program Medicare + Choice," said MRC Presidnet Robert N.
Hayes. "The real choice most older and disabled Americans want is to
choose the doctors they want, anywhere they want, when they need to see
them."
MRC also said 89 percent of those surveyed in its
poll said they support repealing part of the federal tax cuts to pay for
Medicare prescription drug coverage.
More than two-thirds of those polled, according to
MRC, said they believe Medicare HMOs put a higher priority on making
profits than on delivering good health care.
© 2002 American City Business Journals Inc.
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© 2002 Global Action on Aging
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