It's just one more place the nation could save money. It's just a little money, perhaps, but if we cut out the waste each time we saw it, eventually, we might make a difference in the national deficit.
Today, I speak of hospice care at nursing homes. The nursing home workers are already providing care for the patients, and I do not see anything the hospice workers can do that is not already being done.
Except, maybe, another person being there to say, "I care," another set of eyes to watch how the patient is doing, another visit from another person.
But, it comes at a cost. The patient is already paying, what?, maybe $225 for a bed. He is already paying for all the nurses that are seeing him, and we just add another laying of expense when the hospice workers come in.
And, I'm told the hospice companies are paid oh-so handsomely. When the regular nurses hear how much, they sometimes wonder why they should not be paid so well. Who pays the bill? Hospice gets the money from Medicaid. I don't know if there are other payees, but I know Medicaid is a payee.
Tell me, why we shouldn't be able to put an end to this waste? Why we shouldn't be able to just call up our representative or senator and say, "Put an end to this"? It seems it will be hard to justify continued use of hospice in nursing centers. It seems Congress should see as much and waste no time and little debate in ending this bit of government waste.
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