How ironic. The White House has proposed a $6.2 billion package of services for long-term health care, including tax credits, limited direct services and money for referral, counseling and training programs for family care givers. In the same week the administration announced further cuts in Medicare payments for health care for elderly and disabled persons.

In the past there have been major cuts in Medicare for acute care, skilled rehabilitation and home health care. For example, in home health, people are now closely questioned on every visit about their “homebound” status. Heaven forbid that an ill or dependent person take advantage of a rare opportunity to get out of the house for a ride or a meal. Medicare has turned its back on the mind-body connection and the contribution that good mental health can make to physical health.

Changes in the Medicare payment system for home health have led to serious cuts in the level of nursing, home health aide, and therapy services available in the home. For people being sent home quicker and sicker from hospitals, this means that Medicare home health services are inadequate to maintain them safely at home. This results in more admissions to hospitals for acute care that might otherwise be avoided. A penny-wise policy is very pound foolish, never mind the detriment of people’s health. Pamela Taylor Bangor