The future of Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs was the central topic of a recent Q&A session moderated by two Elder Care Advisors from Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services.
Lee Ann Lowe and Anne Keefe were lunch guests of the Golden Age group at the St.Paul AME Church in Cambridge on Jan. 17. The Elder Care Advisors fielded a wide range of questions from the group, and also stayed late to discuss for individual discussions with some of the group members.
Keefe said many of the questions were about how repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could impact elder services. Knowing that would likely be a topic, Keefe and Lowe provided recent projections from the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit that publishes non-partisan research, analysis and journalism about health care issues.
“We’ve been fielding a lot of questions about the Affordable Care Act in recent weeks,” said Keefe. “While we don’t have any inside information on what the federal government will do, we felt it appropriate to share projections of what would likely happen, under some of the proposals that have been put forward.”
The Elder Care Advisors also dropped off packets of information, which outlined programs and services available through SCES.
Lowe and Keefe are part of the SCES Aging Information Center, which provides free information and guidance on resources that support health and well-being in a community setting. It also provides access to a range of Medicare and Medicaid services.
While it’s unclear what will happen in Washington, Aging Information Center Director Dana Beguerie said they’ll keep the public updated as new details emerge.
“Answering questions and connecting people with resources is our central mission,” said Beguerie. “If there are changes, we’re going to stay on top of how that impacts local programs, so we can continue to give people are many options as possible for Aging in Place.”
Questions for the Aging Information Center can be submitted through the SCES website, by emailing info@eldercare.org. or by calling 617-628-2601 during regular business hours.
Representatives from the Aging Information Center are also available on a limited basis to speak for local groups. Contact the Aging Information Center for more information about availability and guidelines.
