medicare costs flattening

[netrox]

Turns out that Medicare spending may be flattened.

"All the facts we have suggest that health reform was the biggest move toward fiscal responsibility in a long, long time."

Bending The Curve - Paul Krugman Blog - NYTimes.com

 

[jillio]

As was predicted by those supporting reform.

 

[darkdog]

Just to note, Medicare's chief actuary strongly disagrees with the analysis. I hate to introduce some cognitive dissonance to people who really want the health care bill to work, but that's better than believing some rosy scenario that will never happen. Here's an overview of what he said.

CMS Medicare Actuary Disavows the Medicare Trustees? Report | e21 - Economic Policies for the 21st Century

Basically, the report assumes that the "Doc fix" will go into effect. That would cut Medicare payments by over 20%. Medicare is already underpaying with many doctors who are already refusing to see new Medicare patients. Allow the doc fix and it will severely hamper access to doctors. Rescind the doc fix (which is most likely) and this whole analysis is worthless. That's the main bad assumption, although there are others.

 

[TXgolfer]

As was predicted by those supporting reform.

Yes it was Please don't forget it.

 

[Reba]

Just to note, Medicare's chief actuary strongly disagrees with the analysis. I hate to introduce some cognitive dissonance to people who really want the health care bill to work, but that's better than believing some rosy scenario that will never happen. Here's an overview of what he said.

CMS Medicare Actuary Disavows the Medicare Trustees? Report | e21 - Economic Policies for the 21st Century

Basically, the report assumes that the "Doc fix" will go into effect. That would cut Medicare payments by over 20%. Medicare is already underpaying with many doctors who are already refusing to see new Medicare patients. Allow the doc fix and it will severely hamper access to doctors. Rescind the doc fix (which is most likely) and this whole analysis is worthless. That's the main bad assumption, although there are others.

Thanks for providing the other side of the story.

 

[kokonut]

DD, one of the biggest problem in Medicare is the amount of waste/inefficiency and fraud it produces every year. Medicare is a $440 billion dollar a year program. On just fraud alone it's a $60 billion dollar a year problem. So, probably in the last 15 years we lost about a trillion dollars of money to fraud alone. Fraud accounts for almost 15% of the total spending. That alone is an already built in inefficient program to begin with we have going already. Medicare is a boondoggle of its own.

Medicare Fraud: A $60 Billion Crime - 60 Minutes - CBS News

 

[Foxrac]

May or may not, we have wait and see about Medicare cost in next decade.

 

[jillio]

Yes it was Please don't forget it.

I won't. Nor will I forget the prediction that came after the flattening of spending. No doubt that will hold true as well.

 

[Reba]

May or may not, we have wait and see about Medicare cost in next decade.

Then it will be too late.