During these unprecedented times, we all must do our part in combatting the pandemic as our nation’s healthcare workers continue to fight around the clock to care for the sick and search for treatments and a vaccine.
While our ability to help may be limited to staying home, donating to food banks and making contributions to other community resources, lawmakers have an opportunity to take swift action in providing support for those hit hardest by this virus — America’s older adults.
As the executive director of the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, I know we must be steadfast in advocating for older adults, their families and caregivers.
The coronavirus has taken an exponential toll on older segments of our population, as those who are 65 and older are more susceptible due to weakened immune systems and underlying health conditions and comorbidities.
With more than 9 million older Americans struggling with hunger, and one in four living alone, I am grateful that Congress took substantial action to support older adults in the March stimulus packages by appropriating a total of $750 million in funding for senior nutrition programs. This funding is crucial, but more must be done.
For instance, access to essential treatments and medication is vital to the health of many older Americans. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has suggested stockpiling several weeks’ worth of medications and supplies.
Congress was smart to allow both 90-day refills and early refills in its March packages, which will help to ensure that Americans don’t have to go without the medications they need. Now, we must make it easier to access prescription refills without delay.
Furthermore, insurance companies must remove all roadblocks to receiving treatment in this time of crisis like step therapy or prior authorization. Prior authorization is a deeply flawed practice that requires a physician to get approval from an insurer in order to provide medical treatment.
In addition, processes like step therapy allow an insurer to deny the prescribed treatment and require a patient to “fail first” with an alternative before approving the physician’s original recommendation.
These burdensome regulations are frustrating and dangerous as they force patients to jump through hoops and could possibly deny or delay access to essential drugs and treatments — particularly now, when it is very difficult to see doctors for non-COVID-19-related appointments.
Additionally, now more than ever, the government needs to support the work being done by researchers and scientists to help create a vaccine and treatments for COVID-19. Promising work is well underway to test new and existing treatments and vaccines. It is through these public-private partnerships that we will be able to get past this scary time.
While recent data in the fight against the coronavirus is encouraging, we’re not out of the woods yet. Our healthcare system has been pushed to the brink, and hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to fight for their lives. We cannot allow older adults to fall by the wayside as this virus runs its course.
I therefore urge Congress and the administration to prioritize efforts that support older adults as well as other caregiver and assisted service programs.
