In an interview
with “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan
(R-WI) cast doubt on the prospect for comprehensive Medicare reform on
the congressional agenda in 2018: “There are some provider issues that
we may be addressing as you know. Some providers in the Medicare field
in some cases are getting overpaid. We want to make sure that’s being
dealt with. But as far as you’re talking about beneficiaries, we’re not
focused on that.”
Unfortunately, however, if Congress fails to address comprehensive Medicare reform, beneficiaries will miss out on significant savings in their pocketbooks, and taxpayers will miss out on the opportunity to slow the growth of the program’s expenses. This “win-win” proposition—seniors save money, as do taxpayers—could help the federal government solve its growing entitlement shortfalls, but only if Congress has the courage to act.
To the uninitiated, premium support would transform Medicare into a program roughly akin to the federal employee health benefit plan, or the Obamacare exchanges established in 2014. Insurers, including traditional government-run Medicare, would bid against each other to offer the usual complement of Medicare services.
http://thefederalist.com/2017/12/21/congress-shouldnt-wait-medicare-reform/
Unfortunately, however, if Congress fails to address comprehensive Medicare reform, beneficiaries will miss out on significant savings in their pocketbooks, and taxpayers will miss out on the opportunity to slow the growth of the program’s expenses. This “win-win” proposition—seniors save money, as do taxpayers—could help the federal government solve its growing entitlement shortfalls, but only if Congress has the courage to act.
How Medicare Reform Would Work
Lost in the cacophony of debate surrounding Obamacare “repeal-and-replace” legislation, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in October released an updated analysis of illustrative proposals to create a premium support program for Medicare. The report explained how and why premium support could save even more money than CBO had estimated just a few years ago.To the uninitiated, premium support would transform Medicare into a program roughly akin to the federal employee health benefit plan, or the Obamacare exchanges established in 2014. Insurers, including traditional government-run Medicare, would bid against each other to offer the usual complement of Medicare services.
http://thefederalist.com/2017/12/21/congress-shouldnt-wait-medicare-reform/
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