For the staff at the Senior Recovery Center in Maplewood, Minn., helping older adults overcome substance use disorders is a calling, said Christine Martinek, a licensed alcohol and drug counselor there.
But it’s a more challenging calling when the adults who need treatment are on Medicare.
“Every day, I get phone calls saying, ‘My dad is 70 years old and he needs help.’ But he’s got Medicare, and you don’t know how many times I have to tell people that we can’t help them,” Martinek said.
