For Immediate Release:
June 24, 2004

For Further Information:
Scott Kramer
(212) 308-1414

Washington, DC- Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) and several colleagues introduced legislation today that would authorize Medicare to cover geriatric assessment and care management, a crucial step toward enhancing the viability of geriatric medicine and improving care for millions of elderly Americans. Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) introduced a companion bill in the House.

The bipartisan Geriatric and Chronic Care Management Act (GCCMA) reignites the debate fueled by the inclusion of a vendor-based chronic care improvement program (CCIP) into the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act. This provision relies on a model that a growing number of geriatricians call ill-suited to the challenges inherent in managing chronic disease in older adults.

"I have a special interest in preparing health care providers and Medicare for the inevitable 'aging of America,'" said Senator Blanche Lincoln. "By improving access to geriatric care, the Geriatric and Chronic Care Management Act of 2004 takes an important first step in modernizing Medicare for the 21st century."

Currently, 20% of Medicare beneficiaries have at least five chronic conditions, accounting for two-thirds of total program spending. Medicare's fee-for-service policies present a major barrier into entering geriatrics and providing high quality care to patients because they don't cover the costs of geriatric assessments and care coordination services that are vital to managing overlapping chronic conditions. Primary care providers must be the main point of contact between the patient and other care providers in emergency, nursing home, and family settings. This management role consumes significant time and resources that are not accounted for.

"Past disease management programs or CCIPs were geared toward a younger patient base without numerous chronic conditions, and to superimpose the models onto the elder population would require multiple, sometimes conflicting interventions," according to AGS President Meghan Gerety, MD. "In addition, one of the central tenets of disease management-patient self education and management-fails to take into account the critical needs of patients with dementia, a key patient base in need of high quality chronic care services."

Along with AGS, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Alzheimer’s Association, among others, are supporting the bill.

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society is a nationwide, not-for-profit association of geriatrics health care professionals dedicated to improving the health, independence and quality of life of all older people. The Society supports this mission through activities in clinical practice, professional and public education, research and public policy. With an active membership of over 6,700 health care professionals, the Society has become a pivotal force in shaping attitudes, policies and practices in geriatric medicine.