Reducing chronic disease vital to safety net programs

It is no secret that Medicare and Medicaid face enormous hurdles in the years to come. Rising health care cost, more people reaching age 65, and more people becoming eligible for Medicaid due to the recession are driving this crisis. Chronic diseases can overwhelm a family's resources, forcing them to rely on the government safety net.

Just as the need is increasing, the federal and state governments, with budget worries of their own, are tempted to control costs. Some states want to reduce the number of people who are covered or reduce services.

One way to address the rising cost of Medicare and Medicaid is to reduce chronic disease. The United States needs to do a better job of encouraging our citizens to be proactive about their health.

Additionally, we need to invest in new technologies and discoveries to actually cure disease. A diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or cancer is devastating to a family and costly to society. We must invest significant resources to eliminate the diseases if we hope to save these safety net programs.

Eileen L. Fisher

Solon