Hitting Back: Obama Stole $700 Billion From Medicare

[Khsoj]

jt, I've read. Some people need to comprehend.

[Khsoj]

Sorry Happy, you need to read and comprehend as well.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by Khsoj

No, I don't know that my coverage is about to change dramatically. I do know the range of support given to plans such as I am in by Medicare. The Medicare budget is increasing and will continue to increase. And given the number of people moving to this type of plan I suspect it'll continue on as previously.

Because I do know the approximate cost for an individual in an Advantage plan (but have not looked it up for my state and county). I do know that a $6k voucher won't come close to being a sufficient amount to keep the insurance companies in business that provide these type of plans. Not even in my state.

By the way, as I previously mentioned, the ideas that Ryan is pushing resembles very much the current process for Medicare Advantage. A yearly bidding process submitted to Medicare.

The other aspect is the insurance companies themselves. They all depend on Medicare for a large (and increasing) portion of their business. For United Healthcare its around 25%. I've read that Humana has a far larger stake in this. I've got a hunch they'd fight Ryan's plan to the end because it'd destroy them (and they have much, much more money than he or Romney has to fight with). Not that I care anything about insurance companies.

From what I've been reading, I get the impression that the insur cos could design their own benefit plans, not having to meet medicare's minimum skeleton. ie, ppl can pick from a variety of plans each varying in what they cover. I suppose that if a person wants a $10,000 deduct plan (emergency plan), they might be able to pay for it with that piddly voucher. But if they have to use it, they will pay much more in out of pocket costs. A good analogy is your TV cable package. If we could just pick the channels that we want to watch only and pay less hopefully. I foresee many potential beneficiaries struggling with having to figure this out. I think that the insur cos would actually favor this. They WIN either way. Even if the beneficiary can only afford a cheap plan, the insur co is STILL going to make its profit. If a person can stay on traditional medicare, I'd like to have an idea of what THAT WOULD COST. A person could very well be given that option, but if it's too expensive to afford , what good is it?

If Ryan has come up with such a great plan, why not offer it to ALL ppl on medicare, incl the ones that are CURRENTLY on medicare? Why should younger ppl be expected to pay into a system that will not give them decent benefits while the current beneficiaries receive 100% of their entitlements? It needs to be a shared sacrifice if it's done.

[Khsoj]

That could be possible but then Medicare would probably decrease the amount given to the ins company should one choose fewer options.

Actually though, what you are describing is the start of a universal healthcare system. Offer the base Medicare Plan A&B to all but with co-pays like the high deduct plan F (without the deduct but a premium like current Medicare) along with a cap With the capability of adding on to it up to the level of plan F. Once something like that is offered in an exchange it'd catch on like wildfire. Thats what the insurance companies fear.

Ryan has to be kinda careful with his approach though (should he become VP or even remain where he is), fiddle with Medicare too much and he opens the door for a full-scale universal system.

However, the Medigap approach is simply not cost efficient. The Advantage mode has it beaten. Better cost controls, better tracking of patient problems, better outcomes. And at a cheaper price. Even Medicare admits that. I've thought all along that ultimately, the Advantage approach will eventually be the nucleus for a universal healthcare system in the US.