Americans weigh in on Medicare reform, show support for the program

Many seniors rely on their Medicare benefits to offset the cost of retirement living communities or assisted care facilities, as well as their prescription medications.


The current national debate about the future of healthcare in the U.S. has had some patients worried that their benefits will change or be reduced, but a new study seems to show that most Americans are committed to maintaining the program.

A day-long discussion titled "Choice-Dialogue" asked Americans from all stages of life to weigh in on the future of Medicare reform, and experts found that there were several areas of common ground.


The majority of participants (94 percent) thought that Medicare officials should be allowed to negotiate the prices of prescription medications, and 85 percent agreed that hospitals should encourage hospice care instead of end-of-life measures.


In order to keep the overall cost of Medicare down, most people surveyed (68 percent) felt that it was fair to gradually increase the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, which might cause some controversy.



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