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U.S. Senate Special Committee Looks at Ageism in Health Care
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Do Medicaid policies in the United States unfairly discriminate against older adults? The U. S. Senate held a special
forum in 2003 to address this and other questions relating to the growing aging population in America.
A forum concerned about oral health for seniors was convened by Sen. John Breaux (La.), ranking Democrat on the Senate
Special Committee on Aging, at the request of Dr. Greg Folse, a Lafayette, La., dentist. This forum, “Ageism in Health
Care: Are Our Nation's Seniors Receiving Proper Oral Health Care?" was held on September 22.
"Too often dental problems are underestimated, ignored or not detected until too late, resulting in serious disease and
even death," said Senator Breaux in an opening statement. The forum included presentations by U.S. Surgeon General Richard
Carmona, M.D., and Dr. Folse, a nationally recognized expert in geriatric dentistry. Others invited to give testimony were
from over a dozen prominent national agencies and associations.
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Miss Liberty, and elderly American herself,
stands up on behalf of equal access to dental
care for the elderly.
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Dr. Folse showed graphic slides that depicted serious oral problems among nursing home residents. He stressed that dental
problems are often neglected and sometimes life-threatening. "It's a sin," he said. "We have to do something at a national
level to ensure access to care for the low-income aged, blind and disabled."
Dr. Michael Helgeson, Apple Tree’s CEO, submitted this testimony: “The frail elderly are just as dependent as children when
it comes to health care. Justice compels us to end the willful neglect of our elders. We must assure that frail elderly
adults everywhere in America receive the dental benefits they need and deserve.”
Unfortunately, this issue generally escapes the attention of policymakers. Many states have reduced or eliminated adult
dental Medicaid benefits, and public spending decisions sometimes ignore the needs of older Americans. Senator Breaux working
to address this issue, vowed to raise the issue on the Senate floor and try to get other senators interested in helping assure
dental care options for seniors.
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