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County backing makes economic sense TO THE EDITOR: Apparently, our entire roster of County Commissioners is apprehensive over the Hospital Authority's request for backing of loan funds to finance restoration of our hospital. They shouldn't be. What they should be asking for, if it were possible, is an opportunity to invest in this undertaking which I am convinced will be one of the most flourishing enterprises in this area. The very last thing the county should be concerned about is that this hospital will fail and even a dollar of county money would be forfeited. Currently, the hospital is well into the black financially and while most of this has been due to the outstanding administrative, medical and nursing staff, much is due to our aging population including a phenomena which began in 1946 - that being the beginning of the baby boomers cohort with approximately 80 million babies born between 1946 and 1964, the beginning of substantial birth control. This colossal demographic hump has begun moving from relatively healthy working age into retirement age for the past six years assuming many have started their retirement at age 55. The oldest of the baby boomers will turn 61 this fall; we can easily predict these aging 80 million boomers will continue to retire, increase their medical care, eventually setting up residence in retirement homes, assisted living facilities, hospices and sadly - our cemeteries. Assisted living corporations know this; I have an aunt in Macon living in such a facility, which has 140 locations in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe built in the last ten years. The funeral directors know this and thousands of family funeral homes are being pounced upon by funeral corporations with offers of millions of dollars for their professions. National health care spending, which hit nearly $2.0 trillion in 2005, is forecast to increase to $4.0 trillion by 2015.* For that, to a great extent, the health-care industry can thank the boomers, who are just beginning to enter the time of their lives when drug, hospital, and other expenditures rise dramatically. People 50 and older account for more than half of all health-care spending; and another boomer reaches the "big five-oh" every seven seconds. Adds Lee Green, M.D., M.P.H. of the University of Michigan Health System, "The demands on the health-care system are enormous and growing. Boomers have a different set of expectations for their health care than generations past. When my grandparents reached old age, health care was something that people avoided, but boomers seek it out. They expect to be healthy, stay healthy and be fixed when they aren't healthy. They make more doctor visits, use more prescription drugs and the number of lab tests that have to be done to monitor all this is enormous."** Generally speaking, the U.S. population, including the boomers, is becoming older and bigger. The number of people 65 and older was 12 million in 1950, 35 million in 2000, and is expected to reach 87 million by 2050.*** Expect both National and Wilkes County healthcare spending to rise accordingly. Any astute retailer or manufacturer given the guarantee of this percentage of additional customers would not hesitate to invest in adjusting his buildings and operation to accommodate the demands certain to come. In conclusion, if the entire healthcare industry, the assisted living industry, and the funeral professions can see this why can't five County Commissioners? CARLTON NORRIS
* - The National Coalition on Health Care ** - Senior Citizens Information and News *** - CRS Report for Congress
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