(Chicago) – Dr. Anthony Perry, director of the Johnston R. Bowman Health Center at Rush University Medical Center, and Robyn Golden, LCSW, director of older adult programs at Rush University Medical Center, will represent Illinois as delegates to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA) to be held in Washington D.C. from December 11 to 14, 2005. Dr. Perry was selected by Senator Richard Durbin to serve as a Congressional Delegate. Golden will serve as an At-Large delegate.

The White House Conference on Aging occurs once a decade to make aging policy recommendations to the President and Congress.  Delegates will vote on resolutions and develop implementation strategies to assist the public and private sectors in promoting dignity, health, independence and economic security of current and future generations of older persons.

The 2005 WHCoA occurs as the baby boom generation prepares for retirement, creating an important opportunity to creatively reassess aging in America and focus on the lives of older Americans.

“As the first wave of 78 million baby boomers begin to turn 60 in 2006, we need to design a system that can thoughtfully and seamlessly provide health care for them while promoting independence, dignity, and confidence even if they become frail,” said Perry.  “Will there be a safety net for people as they age and spend their savings on healthcare? How do we rebalance the long-term care system?   How do we manage care for the whole person rather than just treat disease?  These are some of the tough questions we’ll be looking at.”

Another issue Perry and Golden hope to shine a light on is Medicare reimbursement for geriatric assessments.  Currently Medicare reimbursement is largely based on diagnoses, disease, and procedures.   Good geriatric care is often based on assessment of the whole person and offers the opportunity for better and more patient oriented care.  But Medicare’s payment system under supports the intellectual and interpersonal side of this care and this contributes to the shortage of geriatric medicine physicians nationally.

“It takes a significant amount of time to do a thorough and intensive review for many older adults and create an elegant plan to address the individual’s issues,” said Perry.  “Under the current Medicare structure, patients miss the connection that this type of service creates between themselves and their health provider.”

Past White House Conferences on Aging have contributed to the establishment of many key aging programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, the Older Americans Act, the Supplemental Security Income Program, Social Security reforms, and establishment of the National Institute on Aging. Past Conference also led to creation of a national nutrition program for older persons, and establishment of the national aging network.

More information about the White House Conference on Aging may be found on the website www.whcoa.gov.