By Mark Walters
mwalters@eveningsun.com @walt_walters on Twitter
There are an estimated 400,000 Pennsylvanians living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder, said Brian Duke, secretary of the state's Department of Aging.
And that number, Duke said, is what prompted Gov. Tom Corbett to sign an executive order convening a committee to define the state of Alzheimer's in Pennsylvania.
The committee's study is likely to be introduced in early February, Duke said.
That study will be an important component of handling Alzheimer's disease among Pennsylvanians, said Adams County Office for Aging Director Steve Niebler. Especially as the state's already old population continues to age.
Pennsylvania is the fourth grayest state in the nation based on the percentage of its population over the age of 65, Duke said. As early as 2015, the Commonwealth could see 25 percent of its population older than 65, he added.
Duke met Tuesday with Adams County health and human service officials in New Oxford, discussing Healthy Pennsylvania, the governor's health care initiative.
Healthy Pennsylvania aims to reform Medicaid and offer a private coverage option for uninsured Pennsylvanians, according to a news release from the governor's press office. The modernization plan would increase health insurance access for 500,000 uninsured Pennsylvanians, according to the release.
The goal is to align Medicaid benefits with private commercial insurance companies, improvise a cost-sharing model and implement a job-search requirement, Duke said.
Duke also pointed to participation in preventative health programs as a way to reduce employee contributions and cut back on insurance costs for employers.
Duke said the Medicaid reform will save Pennsylvania money, but at this point the amount has not been estimated.
Eric Kiehl, director of communications for the state's Department of Public Welfare, said there are many variables in the proposed health care reform that could affect the savings amount.
But Republican legislators said the need to cut back on Medicaid spending is dire.
State Rep. Dan Moul, R-Conewago Township, said Pennsylvania's Medicaid program is the second most generous in the country in terms of benefits. Moul said the governor's plan will cut back Medicaid benefits so they are no more lucrative than a state employee's benefits, something he predicted could create an annual savings of between $300 million and $400 million.
"If you are on Medicaid in Pennsylvania, you can visit a doctor 18 times per year, paid 100 percent," Moul said. "And we pay for it, whether they use it or not. That's insanity run amok on tax dollars."
State Sen. Rich Alloway, R-Chambersburg, said next year the state will face a $1 billion budget deficit, most of which is driven by costs of social service programs.
"We have to figure out a way to provide that safety net but make it sustainable and affordable long-term," Alloway said.
Niebler said the governor's health care reform is intended to break the cycle of poverty.
"He wants to make people who are on state and federally funded health insurance, if they're able-bodied, to be searching for a job," Niebler said. "You can't argue that's not a good idea."
Corbett's Healthy Pennsylvania plan was unveiled Sept. 16 at Harrisburg's Pinnacle Health. The first of a series of public hearings was held Friday in Pittsburgh, with additional hearings planned for Jan. 3 in Philadelphia, Jan. 6 in Scranton, Jan. 7 in Altoona and Jan. 9 in Harrisburg.
The hearings are part of Pennsylvania's efforts to obtain approval from the federal government to make changes to the state's Medicaid program.
Duke said under Healthy Pennsylvania, Pennsylvanians would be allowed the opportunity to use federal funds to buy private health insurance through an insurance exchange.
And that will create competition that Alloway said will drive down costs.
"Any time we can get competition into the game, like with health insurance, it's going to be a good thing," Alloway said.
Niebler said he believes Duke's visit to Adams County was a good chance for the Department of Aging secretary to connect with approximately 40 people from local agencies that serve elderly people and people with disabilities.
Duke said he has been doing community visits around the state since last February. His department sees his community outreach to be a need, Duke said.
"I prefer serving our governor and citizens by meeting with them to discuss these things," Duke said. "I want people to know our mission, our initiative and how we're serving older Pennsylvanians."
Mark Walters covers Adams County for The Evening Sun. Contact him at 717-637-3736 ext. 147.
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