National Council on Aging ~ Helping Americans Age Well

 

The National Council on Aging [NCOA] was formed in 1950 to address rising health costs and mandatory retirement. Their mission has expanded over the years. Their focus is to make life better for older adults, especially those who are underserved and underrepresented. NCOA promotes healthy aging, collaborative leadership, innovative services, economic security, advocacy, and senior centers. Sign up for their blog and news for the latest accurate resources on aging. 

 

 National Council on Aging https://www.ncoa.org/

 

The most recent blog, authored by the new National Council on Aging President and CEO Ramsey Alwin, describes how “the system” compromised her father’s health and ultimately his life. 

 

It is also the story of my father, who died suddenly in 1983 at age 59 while awaiting a valve replacement from the VA. Dad was a WWII vet but he was self-employed and did not have health insurance due to poor health and preexisting conditions, chief among them congestive heart failure. I remember sitting at the dining room table when the insurance rep provided him a quote for basic health insurance. It was $1200 per month, an outrageous amount at the time and my parents could not afford it. His only alternative was the VA, an overcrowded, underfunded, and inefficient bureaucracy. Dad had been on the VA valve replacement list for two years, his health deteriorated, and his heart just gave out. Having access to the Affordable Care Act would have provided him with at least a primary care physician. My mother, who was older than my dad, had Medicare but dad had nothing. No safety net.

Alwin’s story touched me. Her dad died in July of 2016, over thirty years after my dad died. However, our stories are nearly the same. Not much has changed. Both men were hardworking Americans with serious chronic conditions, deteriorating health, and mountains of medical debt. Like Alwin, I get angry. No American deserves this. Our system is broken and that is what motivates me to pay close attention to our political candidates. My vote and your vote counts! Alwin's story is below. Well worth reading.

“Aging with Dignity Shouldn’t be a Stroke of Luck” posted 9/15/2020

https://www.ncoa.org/blog/aging-with-dignity-shouldnt-be-a-stroke-of-luck/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=09152020_NCOAWeek