How would lowering the Medicare age save the system money?

[JDPriestly]

32. I have never researched this, but I have a couple of ideas

about how to proceed.

Areas in which early diagnosis can lower the costs of later treatment are with regard to

1) blood pressure -- getting a person on medication that is appropriate earlier rather than later can help prevent strokes which are difficult to treat and can result in severe disabilities, even complete dependency on a caregiver;

2) diabetes -- again, if caught early, treated and continuously followed, can be controlled so that later costs for things like amputations and other horrible outcomes are less likely or less severe;

3) cancer -- early diagnosis can mean longer life and the ability to live independently for a longer time;

4) various conditions like high cholesterol, detrimental life styles like lack of exercise or drinking or eating too much, and other similar things can be easily treated if you take blood tests early enough to discover them.

5) treating people with chronic back problems and other skeletal or muscular problems can lessen the need for expensive surgery later on. I'm thinking about directing people into physical therapy and exercise early enough to avoid really serious, expensive problems.

One thing I notice about this list is that early diagnosis is the key to saving money. I don't have the numbers on the gains that might be had, but as one who is now older, it would have been really useful for me to have had healthcare that focused on simple tests, on discovering, diagnosing and treating health problems that cost a lot of money if they are neglected and allowed to become very serious. Diagnosis would not be enough unless followed up by treatment.

The ACA may take care of a lot of the problems caused in the senior years by a lack of the kind of healthcare during the 50s that I am discussing.

At this time, a lot of people in their 50s have lost their jobs and do not have the money to buy healthcare.

I had to buy my own health insurance prior to qualifying for Medicare. Like most people my age, I had pre-existing conditions that pushed up the cost of my insurance. I got a really reasonable plan with Kaiser but it still cost a lot, I mean a lot of money compared to what I was able to earn at times.

If people have healthcare through their work, that would be better than Medicare. But if they don't starting people on Medicare before 65 at least for preventive care and pre-existing conditions would be a good idea.