Gov. Kempthorne Launches Long-Term Care Agenda With National PBS Broadcast

[Murray Charters <mcharters@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Gov. Kempthorne Launches Long-Term Care Agenda With National PBS Broadcast

December 10, 2003

Click here to view broadcast.


WASHINGTON - To begin a national dialogue among government leaders, the 
business community, and everyday Americans
about ways to prepare for the nation's burgeoning aging population, Idaho Gov. 
Dirk Kempthorne kicked off his
initiative as NGA chairman Dec. 10 with a nationally broadcast PBS program.

A cross-section of the nation's governors - including Georgia Gov. Sonny 
Perdue, Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, and
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen - joined Gov. Kempthorne, former Speaker of the 
House Newt Gingrich and former White House
Budget Director and Congressional Budget Office Director Alice Rivlin for 
Living Better: A National Conversation on
Aging. Moderated by Morton Kondracke, executive editor of the Capitol Hill 
newspaper Roll Call and co-host of Fox News
Channel's The Beltway Boys, the hour-long program featured a lively discussion 
of the issues, challenges, and
opportunities facing policymakers as America's population ages.

Driving the conversation is the compelling statistic that underscores the need 
to change America's culture of long-term
care: Nearly 77 million baby boomers will begin to turn age 65 by 2008 - that's 
more than double the current population
of seniors.

Those citizens could overwhelm America's health care system, experts warn. The 
average retiree has saved $30,000 for
retirement yet one year in a nursing home costs more than $50,000 and the 
average stay is more than two years. For
state governments, Medicaid pays the largest percentage, 44 percent or $76.5 
billion, of all long-term care costs.

"Nearly every American will encounter the need for long-term care," said Gov. 
Kempthorne. "We can change the health
care culture in this country to help our seniors age healthier and to help our 
states provide more dignified care. But
we must begin to   actnow.

In addition to financial planning for retirement, the program focused on issues 
ranging from building community-based
care systems and providing support for caregivers, to promoting wellness and 
disease management and utilizing
technology to enhance the quality of life of seniors and provide cost effective 
care.

The show is expected to air on top PBS stations, including those in New York, 
Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Boston, and Dallas. The program also will be broadcast in the home 
states of the governors who will be
participating. Viewers should consult their local listings for when the program 
will air in their market.

The governors participating in the production were selected because of their 
service on NGA's A Lifetime of Health and
Dignity Task Force, established as part of Gov. Kempthorne's initiative. Other 
members of panel include Kansas Gov.
Kathleen Sebelius,Maine Gov. John Baldacci, New Jersey Gov. James E. McGreevey, 
Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn, South Carolina
Gov. Mark Sanford, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

The Dec. 10 production is the first in a series of events designed to engage 
governors, other policymakers, and the
private sector. NGA will host a policy forum this Spring in Chicago where state 
teams will have the opportunity to hear
from national experts and can begin developin         
gaframeworkforaddressingtheirlong-termcarechallenges.Gov.
Kempthorne's initiative also will be front and center at the association's 
Winter Meeting in February and Annual
Meeting in July in Seattle.

Related Files:

Living Better: Preliminary Carriage Report


Video Files


Broadcast Transcript


SOURCE: National Govrnors Association


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