“Wheelchairs make it possible for otherwise homebound
individuals to have the freedom and opportunity to get around
outside their homes. This bill allows people with disabilities to
live independently in their community, and I hope my colleagues in
the Senate support it.”
— U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., who recently
introduced legislation to lift the controversial
“in-the-home” restriction for Medicare coverage of
wheelchairs. The bill, called the Medicare Independent Living Act
of 2006 (S. 3677), would provide coverage for wheelchairs used
outside of the home if it is determined that there is a sufficient
need due to the patient's medical condition. (For more information
on the bill, see page 8.)
11% of consumers say they would be extremely likely to pay $100 for a device to transmit well-being information about a sick loved one.
Source: Forrester Research
“When all types of errors are taken into account, a
hospital patient can expect on average to be subjected to more than
one medication error each day.”
— The Institute of Medicine, which recommends that all
prescribers and pharmacies move to e-prescriptions by 2010 to avoid
the mistakes that accompany handwritten prescriptions.
$21 billion Amount the global market for disposable and reusable respiratory equipment is estimated to reach by 2010
Source: Kalorama Information
Kansas City, Mo., offered the most affordable health insurance nationwide in 2004, with premiums of $171.86 per month available for a family of four, compared to Boston, the most expensive city, at $767.30 for the same family.
Source: eHealthInsurance.com
42.4 million The total number of Medicare beneficiaries in 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
88,289 Number of centenarians (those age 100 or over) living in the U.S. in 2004, up from 50,454 in 2003 and 37,306 in 1990
Source: MetLife Mature Market Institute, Demographic Profile of Americans 65+
