Regional administrator at the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in San Francisco, David Sayen, spoke to Manteca seniors Monday on the future of medical care for the aged.

The talk took place at the Manteca Senior Center.

“No one really knows what’s going to happen when we uncork Obama Care,” he quipped.

He noted that the Medicare Advantage plans get more procedures covered and more pre-services provided within the health care system. 

Sayen and his immediate staff are focused on external and intergovernmental affairs while the operations units in his office provide technical assistance and conduct a variety of reviews, evaluations and inspections of activities in the CMS’s programs.

With one of the most culturally diverse populations in the country, his office serves some 14 million Medicare, Medicaid and Children’s health insurance program beneficiaries. 

Sayen noted that a move to Los Angeles or Orange County would provide the lowest health care insurance premiums because of the density of the populations and the greater number of hospitals.  He added that the growth costs in Medicare services have been the lowest in recent years.

“Medicare premiums are the same for everybody regardless of age,” he said.  “We tell people you want to get Parts B and D as soon as they are available regardless of your age.  What will happen in the future to save Medicare is unknown.”.

Sayen added that the average age of physicians in California is 50, with many planning on retirement.  A bill that went before state legislators to allow nurse practitioners to fill the gap was just voted down, he added.

He noted that those folks who have the Medigap insurance have questioned whether their premiums will be going up next year.  “I think they will go up over time.  You are getting a really great deal at this time,” he said.