Medicare Blog

why expanding medicare is not a good idea conyers

by Merle Cremin PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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What are some of the arguments against Medicare for all?

 · Cons of Medicare Medicare Costs a Huge Amount to Administrate In 2020, Medicare spending was projected to be $858.5 billion. That number isn’t expected to get smaller, with CMS estimating that it will increase to over $1 trillion by the end of the decade. 4 Hospital Stays Can Be High in Cost

Should existing insurers be allowed to compete in the Medicare Advantage market?

 · June 2, 2016. In 1998, President Bill Clinton suggested a partial solution to help millions of Americans without health insurance: The country should let those 55 and older without employer ...

Is Medicare for all a good idea?

 · Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion is just a bad idea all around. Giving someone a Medicaid card isn’t the same as giving them access to high-quality, affordable care. In fact, expanding Medicaid props up a broken program than remove unnecessary regulations on the health care industry. Nebraska has alternatives to Medicaid expansion if it wants ...

How will the ACA and Medicaid expansion affect the economy?

 · The first is that taxes would go up, so it would not receive bipartisan support. The second is that it's a vote loser. When Americans are polled, 70% say that they approve of Medicare-for-All ...

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What are three problems that are created by the Medicare program?

Although there are many more, let me mention just three big problems with the current Medicare system: The current Medicare system makes fraud easy. The bookkeeping is broken. The problem resolution system is lousy.

How Medicare for all would hurt the economy?

The real trouble comes when Medicare for all is financed by deficits. With government borrowing, universal health care could shrink the economy by as much as 24% by 2060, as investments in private capital are reduced.

Why is Medicare for all better than Obamacare?

Medicare for all proposes to reduce costs by increasing taxes to pay for the program's coverage, but also by reducing payments to healthcare providers such as hospitals and physicians. The Medicare for all program could eliminate the private health insurance system as we know it.

What is one of the main reasons that Medicare and Medicaid are growing as health care providers?

Americans spend a huge amount on healthcare every year, and the cost keeps rising. In part, this increase is due to government policy and the inception of national programs like Medicare and Medicaid. There are also short-term factors, such as the 2020 financial crisis, that push up the cost of health insurance.

Will Medicare for all increase poverty?

The plan would abolish private coverage and force everyone onto a government-run plan. Medicare for All would make most Americans worse off financially, not better. Under Medicare for All, three quarters of Americans would be worse off financially, according to new research from The Heritage Foundation.

What would happen if the US had universal healthcare?

Most agree that if we had universal healthcare in America, we could save lives. A study from Harvard researchers states that not having healthcare causes around 44,789 deaths per year. 44,789 deaths per year means that there is a 40% increased risk of death for people who are uninsured.

Why public healthcare is better than private?

If patients get sick or complications arise, they are sent to the public health care system so that private clinics don't lose money. Those who can afford private, for-profit treatment may not be getting better care.

Why the US should have Medicare for All?

This would reduce the pandemic's death toll, and allow the country to recover more quickly. A comprehensive single-payer, universal health care system would significantly reduce anxiety and debt, increase health and happiness, and help the lower and middle classes the most.

What are the pros of Medicare for All?

Pros and Cons of Medicare for AllUniversal healthcare lowers healthcare costs for the economy overall, since the government controls the price of medication and medical services through regulation and negotiation.It would also eliminate the administrative cost of working with multiple private health insurers.More items...•

Why is the US health care cost so high?

The price of medical care is the single biggest factor behind U.S. healthcare costs, accounting for 90% of spending. These expenditures reflect the cost of caring for those with chronic or long-term medical conditions, an aging population and the increased cost of new medicines, procedures and technologies.

Why is US healthcare so expensive compared to other countries?

Hospitals, doctors, and nurses all charge more in the U.S. than in other countries, with hospital costs increasing much faster than professional salaries. In other countries, prices for drugs and healthcare are at least partially controlled by the government. In the U.S. prices depend on market forces.

Why are Medicare costs rising?

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the premium and other Medicare cost increases on November 12, 2021. The steep hike is attributed to increasing health care costs and uncertainty over Medicare's outlay for an expensive new drug that was recently approved to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Why is Medicare going out of business?

Several have gone out of business or are bowing out of the markets because of losses . If the Medicare for more plan cost more than a typical marketplace plan, it probably wouldn’t impose much new pricing discipline. If it cost less, it might drive more insurers out of the markets.

What is Medicare buy in?

A Medicare buy-in could provide an exception to the regular rules, and allow Medicare to include its usual gaps in coverage. But that would undermine the idea of the Obamacare marketplaces, where insurance plans are expected to compete on equal footing. A Medicare buy-in might include additional financial protections not offered to older Americans, but that would mean younger people would get a better version of Medicare than older ones.

Does Medicare require changes to Obamacare?

It would require a new system for calculating and awarding subsidies to low-income purchasers. It would probably require changes to Medicare’s standard package of benefits. And it runs the risk of destabilizing the Obamacare marketplaces, several of which are already somewhat precarious.

Can Medicare buy in work?

A Medicare buy-in could well work, but it wouldn’t easily coexist in post-Obamacare times the way it might have in the 1990s.

Who suggested that people with no health insurance should be allowed to buy into the government?

In 1998, President Bill Clinton suggested a partial solution to help millions of Americans without health insurance: The country should let those 55 and older without employer coverage buy into the government Medicare system.

Did Hillary Clinton bring back the health insurance expansion?

A few weeks ago, Hillary Clinton brought the idea back. It’s a proposal she’s talked about before: It was part of her 2000 Senate campaign platform and an option she mentioned for health insurance expansion when she ran for president in 2008.

Is Medicare for more attractive to young customers?

There are optimists who think that Medicare for more could be tailored to help the Obamacare markets by making them more attractive to young customers who haven’t yet signed up. By pulling older Americans out of Obamacare, that theory goes, the remaining customers would be younger and healthier. Those younger, healthier customers would mean lower premiums for everyone. And lower premiums could bring in more young customers, completing a virtuous cycle.

Is expanding Medicaid bad for health?

Expanding Medicaid Is a Bad Way to Provide Health Care. Here’s Why.

Does expanding Medicaid hurt people?

But the problem isn’t just feasibility. Expanding Medicaid hurts those who truly need the program and benefits insurance companies and providers. Researchers from Harvard, Dartmouth and MIT reported that Medicaid recipients receive about 20 to 40 cents of every Medicaid dollar spent.

How would Medicare for All affect physicians?

Under the Medicare-for-All plan, private insurance would be eliminated and physicians who are in private practice would be paid on a fee-for-service basis through a national fee schedule, likely at the current Medicare rate or slightly lower. By eliminating the insurance industry, the plan would also eliminate one million jobs. The new fee schedule would be significantly lower than the current industry fee schedule, which means Medicare-for-All would likely lower physician incomes in a significant way, making a bad situation for physicians even worse.

What are the objections to Medicare for All?

There are three basic objections to Medicare-for-All. The first is that taxes would go up, so it would not receive bipartisan support. The second is that it's a vote loser. When Americans are polled, 70% say that they approve of Medicare-for-All. However, when a follow-up question is asked, in which it is made clear that this means everybody would be required to have it, support drops to 38%. The third and perhaps most important objection is that many experienced doctors would simply leave the profession, and this problem is not solved by retaining the commercial insurance corporations, since this is merely retaining a system that needs to change.

What is the Medicare for All bill?

Senator Bernie Sanders recently announced his Medicare-for-All bill. This is basically the senate version of the congressional bill introduced by Pramila Jayapal. The bill would eliminate the insurance industry and much of the billing bureaucracy that exists today. It would provide health care coverage for everyone and eliminate copays and deductibles. It would expand Medicare coverage to include dental, vision and long-term nursing home care.

How to provide universal health care?

1. Provide universal health care by requiring all employers to provide health insurance for their employees. Establish and provide a national health care option, which we have named Allcare, which would provide the same minimum benefits of the Medicare program.

What do liberals and moderates want?

Both liberal and moderate Democrats want a universal health care system that covers all Americans. They would like a single-payer system like Medicare-for-All or a combination of public and private payers that would cover everyone.

Is there an alternative to Obamacare?

There is an alternative to both Obamacare and Medicare-for-All. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduces the Medicare for All Act of 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, April 10, 2019. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) The Associated Press. Senator Bernie Sanders recently announced his Medicare-for-All bill.

Is Medicare for All the wrong path?

While it has good intentions, Medicare-for-All is the wrong path for the future of healthcare in America. We need a plan which brings universal healthcare to America, one that would improve quality, improve outcomes, expand competition and lower costs.

Why is Governor Evers so desperate to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin?

We wonder why Governor Evers is still so desperate to expand Medicaid in Wisconsin when, demonstrably, Wisconsin’s system is working to get people healthcare, keep treatment costs low, and keep people gainfully employed. Expansion could upend all of that progress.

Why did Arizona expand Medicaid?

When lawmakers expanded Medicaid in Arizona, one of their goals was to insure more people, which would decrease the number of uninsured people seeking care and, theoretically, reduce how much hospitals shifted costs onto the privately insured. A 2018 study by the Goldwater Institute found that, instead, the privately insured still paid 27% above list prices for hospital care in 2017. That’s a jump from a 14% cost shift estimated in 2007.

How does Medicaid expansion work in Wisconsin?

In Wisconsin today, able-bodied childless adults, parents, and caretakers may be on MA if their earned yearly income is 100% FPL or less. The Expansion would open MA eligibility to child less adults, parents, and caretakers who make up to 138% FPL. This 100-138% FPL group is commonly referred to as the Expansion population or Expansion enrollees. Under the regular Expansion plan, the federal government promises to cover the majority of the cost of coverage for Expansion enrollees by increasing their share of the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to 90%.

What is the coverage gap in Wisconsin?

The coverage gap is a problem in all non-Expansion states, except for Wisconsin. The gap occurs when certain low-income individuals earn too much money to enroll in their state’s MA program, but don’t earn enough to qualify for subsidies on the Obamacare insurance exchange.

Why did Biden eat ice cream with the governor?

President Biden was eating ice cream with Wisconsin’s governor and Democrat senator while 200 miles away a city is in crisis because of the disastrous policies the three of them put forth. Read More

How much money did Biden save in 2021?

After President Biden got his 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) passed, estimated savings jumped up by an additional $1 billion, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau. That’s a hefty chunk of change, and if it seems too good to be true, that’s because it is.

Why do hospitals increase their insurance premiums?

When hospital prices increase, bigger bills are sent to private insurance companies . Those companies, in turn, increase premiums in order to offset the higher cost of coverage for their customers. This is reflected in the CHASE study, which suggests “rising hospital costs and margins have contributed to rising insurance premiums.”

What would happen if Medicaid expanded?

10. Expanding Medicaid could force states to reduce funding for education, increase state tuition, or cut transportation funding.

Why is Medicaid expansion bad?

12 Reasons Why Medicaid Expansion Is A Terrible Idea. More than four years after the president signed his signature health care initiative, the Affordable Care Act, into law, many states are still struggling to navigate it. A key issue still facing states is whether to expand Medicaid and increase the pool of residents eligible to join the program.

Why is Medicaid not accepted?

Too often the current Medicaid program denies patients access to care, since about 40 percent of primary care doctors do not even accept Medicaid patients because the reimbursements are so low. As a result, studies show that patients on Medicaid often have worse outcomes after major surgeries, have higher child mortality rates, and use emergency rooms even more than people without insurance. Medicaid proves the truism that access to a government program is not necessarily access to quality health care.

What is the formula used to calculate the federal share of per state Medicaid funding?

The formula used to calculate the federal share of per state Medicaid funding is known as FMAP, or Federal Medical Assistance Percentage. Some states get a lot, and some states get very little. Quite often, a state’s FMAP is dependent upon whether that state has a particularly powerful lawmaker in Congress. Sen.

How much is Obamacare financed?

Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion is financed with $1 trillion in tax hikes and $700 billion in cuts to Medicare. Contrary to politicians like Ohio Gov.John Kasich, who claimed that money would be “left on the table” if Ohio refused to expand Medicaid, there is no pot of money sitting around just waiting to be used.

How much does Medicaid expansion reduce private coverage?

One of the architects of Obamacare, Jonathan Gruber (who also coauthored that Oregon Medicaid study), estimates that Medicaid expansions can reduce private coverage by 60 percent. A RAND study also found that of 60 percent of Medicaid expansion is just replacing coverage ...

How is Obamacare paid for?

Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion is paid for through a combination of tax increases and cuts to Medicare. The program doesn’t work like a typical discretionary program, where a fixed amount is appropriated regardless of program utilization. Medicaid’s cost increases are tied directly to enrollment.

Why is Medicare for All important?

And, in fact, a Medicare for All system affords more people more choice, because there are millions of people right now without healthcare who are denied the choice entirely.

Why do pharmaceutical companies give up research?

Amid a growing global crisis of anti-microbial resistance, in which microbial evolution is defeating antibiotic after antibiotic and patients are routinely dying from routine infections, pharmaceutical companies have all but given up research into new families of the life-saving drugs, simply because they are not profitable enough. That amputation or surgery to scrape out infected areas might return as common medical responses is not a pleasant thought. But this alternative was the only one left to the doctors of 19-year-old Antonio Ricci of Seattle when they surgically removed part of his leg, following repeated infections from drug-resistant bacteria—acquired in a train accident in India—that could not be treated, even with highly toxic last-resort antibiotics. Each time the infection returned, more and more of the leg had to be cut off. Although Ricci has since recovered, he has lived in perpetual fear of the reappearance of bugs that cannot be fought. As a 2008 “call to arms” from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) put it, “ [Antibiotics] are less desirable than other drugs to drug companies and venture capitalists because they are more effective than other drugs.”

Why are antibiotics less desirable than other drugs?

As a 2008 “call to arms” from the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) put it, “ [Antibiotics] are less desirable than other drugs to drug companies and venture capitalists because they are more effective than other drugs.”. That last point may sound counterintuitive.

Can you change your private insurance company?

But here’s the thing: If you have private insurance, abstract “market forces” aren ’t denying your claim. That’s being done by individual gate-keepers who work for your insurance company. “Yes,” a critic might reply, “but I can change my private insurance company if I dislike my individual gate-keepers, whereas with the government I’m stuck.” But the wonderful thing about living in a democracy—which our fictitious critic forgets—is that we can choose our individual gate-keepers. If you’re unhappy with the way the healthcare system is being run, you have the right to vote out the people who are overseeing it. And, in fact, a Medicare for All system affords more people more choice, because there are millions of people right now without healthcare who are denied the choice entirely.

Is Medicare for All a net reduction?

So would Medicare for All. It doesn’t follow, however, that instituting Medicare for All would represent a net reduction rather than net increase in most people’s personal autonomy and freedom of choice.

Does Medicare for All cover poor health?

There may be some truth in that assessment, but it’s also the case that poor health makes it more difficult to lead a healthy lifestyle. Medicare for All will provide all Americans with the preventative care they need, dealing with health issues before they snowball into something much worse.

Does Medicare for All violate freedom of choice?

Even so, you may argue, Medicare for All could violate freedom of choice even if a majority of the public doesn’t want to keep their private insurance. Standard Medicare for All proposals would give Medicare a monopoly on at least basic health insurance. This is how Canadian Medicare works.

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