Alzheimers? You're Not Really Sick . . .

[Welcome LGF readers!]

The NHS, Britain's version of Medicare for all, says Alzheimer's is a social condition and does not qualify for benefits.

Is this a medical breakthrough? Does the NHS believe folks with Alzheimer's just pretend to be forgetful in order to gain attention?

NHS Worcestershire ruled that Judith Roe, 74, did not qualify for NHS funding because her condition was a "social" rather than "health" problem, even though she was so ill she could not make a cup of tea and regularly left the stove on.

She was forced to sell her £200,000 home to pay her £600-a-week nursing home fees, which would have been funded if she had been categorised correctly.

They can't be serious.

Sure smacks of denying the claim to save money.

Her son, Richard, 40, urged other families in a similar situation to fight for the care they are entitled to.

"They told me I should count myself lucky because there are people that are more ill than my mother, which was an outrageous thing to say.

So the NHS does triage in order to make sure those who are really ill get care.

Interesting.

Under English law, elderly people must pay for their own residential care unless their needs are deemed health-related.

She was assessed but her needs were regarded to be social rather than health, meaning she did not qualify for funding.

Unbelievable.

"The NHS doesn't want to admit elderly people have health issues because then it falls to them to pay for their care."

He added: "We made the difficult decision to sell her home because we were under the assumption that older people sell their houses to pay for care.

Wait!

Only in America do folks have to sell their home to pay for health care. That doesn't happen in countries where the government takes care of everything.

Paul Bates, chief executive of NHS Worcestershire, said: "Decisions around eligibility for continuing NHS care are extremely complex and difficult even though we have national guidance to assist us.

"The line between the need for healthcare and social care is a very thin one indeed, but the impact for the individual is the difference between free care and care which is means tested.

Means tested.

Seems like that is one of the talking points of HR 3200. If the care does not meet certain standards it won't be covered.

Andrew Harrop, Head of Policy for Age Concern and Help the Aged, said: "The system for deciding where the line is drawn between free NHS Continuing Care, and paid for social care has been a mess for years.

"We are still very concerned that older people may wrongly be forced to pay for their care when it should be free.

Well of course it should be free.

And that is what Obama wants for us as well. Free health care.

FWIW, the family prevailed in court and won a judgment of 130,000 pounds.