Remarks on Value-Based Transformation for Post-Acute Care

Alex M. Azar II

American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living

"As our country ages, the systems we have for caring for older Americans must change. One reason is that the finances simply will not work. We need higher quality, lower-cost settings for caring for older Americans with serious health conditions. But another factor is that our aging generations will have different expectations, needs and capabilities."

As Prepared for Delivery

It’s a pleasure to be here today. I want to thank Tim [Sadler] for that introduction, and thank all of you for inviting me here to share with you some of President Trump and HHS’s vision for the future of healthcare.

It is particularly fitting to be here with AHCA/NCAL because the organizations you run will play a key role in the healthcare system over the next several decades.

American healthcare is changing rapidly, and America itself is changing, too. The number of Americans in need of services to maintain their health and independence as they age is rising, and the number of disabled Americans in need of such services is growing as well.

The demographic data doesn’t lie: In 2000, around when I first arrived at HHS under the Bush administration, there were 46 million Americans over the age of 60. By 2016, there were 69 million Americans over 60—a 50 percent jump.

By 2020, that number will be 77 million—and by 2040, it will be 102 million.