Comments on: NEW MEDICARE CZAR OPTS OUT OF MEDICARE http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/ Cleaning the Augean Stables of the Health Care Debate Thu, 10 May 2012 21:39:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Matt Horn CBC http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461563 Matt Horn CBC Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:01:05 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461563 Single payer. Yep, monopolies always reduce costs. Seem the MA system beat the hell out of Medicare, so the pols choked them out. Single payer. Yep, monopolies always reduce costs. Seem the MA system beat the hell out of Medicare, so the pols choked them out.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461561 Marc Brown Tue, 20 Jul 2010 11:21:04 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461561 Beth, I see you are making a strong case for a single payer insurance system. There never can be - or could be - a separate insurance market for older people given that the majority of healthcare spend happens in the older years. But much of that spend is wasted and unnecessary so there is considerable scope to improve Medicare as it stands and Don Berwick is recognised as the prime mover across the political spectrum bar the lunatic right. Beth, I see you are making a strong case for a single payer insurance system. There never can be – or could be – a separate insurance market for older people given that the majority of healthcare spend happens in the older years. But much of that spend is wasted and unnecessary so there is considerable scope to improve Medicare as it stands and Don Berwick is recognised as the prime mover across the political spectrum bar the lunatic right.

]]> By: Beth Haynes, MD http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461552 Beth Haynes, MD Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:51:47 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461552 Marc--Have you or anyone you know tried to get Medicare-free health insurance after the age of 64 and 9 months? I tried to get quotes from multiple insurance companies. Most do not even offer insurance to people of Medicare age. The one insurance broker who said he would get me a quote never called back, but warned me that it is incredibly expensive. Why? Because Medicare has destroyed the individual insurance market for the elderly, even more so than government education has severely diminished private school options fro primary and secondary education. No one can opt out of the taxes, so you must pay twice. So far, Medicare has been very generous to recipients, so few people have looked for alternatives. This is bound to change as Medicare goes broke, rationing is put into place and doctors increasingly opt out due to reimbursement below their costs of providing care. Although you theoretically are "free" to choose an alternative to government provided healthcare after you turn 65, the existence of Medicare has made this option achievable only for the very wealthy few. Marc–Have you or anyone you know tried to get Medicare-free health insurance after the age of 64 and 9 months? I tried to get quotes from multiple insurance companies. Most do not even offer insurance to people of Medicare age. The one insurance broker who said he would get me a quote never called back, but warned me that it is incredibly expensive.

Why? Because Medicare has destroyed the individual insurance market for the elderly, even more so than government education has severely diminished private school options fro primary and secondary education. No one can opt out of the taxes, so you must pay twice.

So far, Medicare has been very generous to recipients, so few people have looked for alternatives. This is bound to change as Medicare goes broke, rationing is put into place and doctors increasingly opt out due to reimbursement below their costs of providing care. Although you theoretically are “free” to choose an alternative to government provided healthcare after you turn 65, the existence of Medicare has made this option achievable only for the very wealthy few.

]]> By: Keith http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461549 Keith Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:48:00 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461549 Marc- you're logic makes the point. I'll probably need the system, but would, if I could, pay for whom ever I choose to see for my healthcare untill I die. Marc- you’re logic makes the point. I’ll probably need the system, but would, if I could, pay for whom ever I choose to see for my healthcare untill I die.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461515 Marc Brown Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:20:34 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461515 Sorry Matt - you've lost me. What choice is he taking away? As far as I'm aware Medicare is a right for all over-65s who've paid their taxes, and certain other groups. He is not a free marketer who wants to abolish it like you - he actually wants to strengthen it. Also, he is not proposing to remove the right to buy private insurance as an alternative or extra. So what choice is is taking away? Sorry Matt – you’ve lost me. What choice is he taking away? As far as I’m aware Medicare is a right for all over-65s who’ve paid their taxes, and certain other groups. He is not a free marketer who wants to abolish it like you – he actually wants to strengthen it. Also, he is not proposing to remove the right to buy private insurance as an alternative or extra. So what choice is is taking away?

]]> By: Steph http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461513 Steph Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:57:35 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461513 So...there you have it. The verdict is, Marc Brown is being intentionally obtuse. Some people are more equal than others. So…there you have it. The verdict is, Marc Brown is being intentionally obtuse.

Some people are more equal than others.

]]> By: Matt Horn CBC http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461511 Matt Horn CBC Fri, 16 Jul 2010 13:38:55 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461511 Of course not. But any person that advocates taking the choice away from others and not themselves is a hypocrite. It's pretty simple really. Of course not. But any person that advocates taking the choice away from others and not themselves is a hypocrite. It’s pretty simple really.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461503 Marc Brown Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:39:31 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461503 The healthcare package was granted in 2003, Matt. Are you saying that any well-off person taking a public post has to give everything away? The healthcare package was granted in 2003, Matt. Are you saying that any well-off person taking a public post has to give everything away?

]]> By: Matt Horn CBC http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461501 Matt Horn CBC Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:54:08 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461501 Are you being intentionally obtuse Marc? Here was the point of the post: <i>"Is there ANYONE on the Obama team who isn’t a brazen hypocrite?"</i> Sounds like a fair question. Seems that Socialism is for the subjects, not their rulers. Are you being intentionally obtuse Marc? Here was the point of the post:

“Is there ANYONE on the Obama team who isn’t a brazen hypocrite?”

Sounds like a fair question. Seems that Socialism is for the subjects, not their rulers.

]]> By: Marc Brown http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461498 Marc Brown Thu, 15 Jul 2010 12:01:27 +0000 http://www.healthcarebs.com/2010/07/14/new-medicare-czar-opts-out-of-medicare/#comment-461498 This makes no sense. Are you saying that well-off people who can afford other provision should drop it and use Medicare, adding to the pressures on the system? Why not just take their taxes and let them do what they want? This makes no sense. Are you saying that well-off people who can afford other provision should drop it and use Medicare, adding to the pressures on the system? Why not just take their taxes and let them do what they want?

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