tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post2054294965491190598..comments2023-09-29T06:58:20.125-07:00Comments on Badtux the Snarky Penguin: A more detailed look...BadTuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-82715766801334053622009-06-09T11:03:09.578-07:002009-06-09T11:03:09.578-07:00Thank you, Mike. That was an interesting paper. On...Thank you, Mike. That was an interesting paper. One thing that they try to slip by you (but do mention) is that Medicare costs are not rising as fast as costs in the rest of the healthcare system. That is, yes, Medicare costs are rising, but so are all other costs. On the other hand, some things they view as "flaws" in Medicare, most people view as features -- i.e., "decentralized provision of services" is a *feature* to most people, because who wants dreary British Public Health Service (or Kaiser-Permanente :) clinics? <br /><br />Secondly, they make an outrageous and untrue claim that the Medicare Drug Benefit (Part D) is coming in at 40% under budget predictions. As a matter of fact, <a href="http://www.insurancecompanyrules.org/blog/entry/privatized_medicare_drug_benefit_higher_costs_coverage_gaps/" rel="nofollow">that is an outright lie</a>. Actual Part D expenses are actually OVER 200% HIGHER than initial projections, and according to healthcare advocates, the Part D program could easily save 30% of its current costs. And if you eliminated the 10% overhead imposed by the insurance companies administering Part D and had it go to a straight Medicare plan administered by the Medicare Administration, you could save an additional 10% -- i.e., you could easily make Part D *truly* 40% less expensive than its current costs (not less expensive compared to some bullshit projection, but less expensive compared to REALITY). So Part D is certainly NOT the solution to Medicare's woes, and the authors of this paper are dishonest hacks for saying it is. 'Nuff said on that.<br /><br />- Badtux the Dollars-and-cents PenguinBadTuxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01345749557330760251noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-13368121662199741562009-06-09T10:40:32.338-07:002009-06-09T10:40:32.338-07:00Medicare and the Reform of U.S. Health Care<a href="http://www.eppc.org/docLib/20090406_Reform_us_healthcare.pdf" rel="nofollow">Medicare and the Reform of U.S. Health Care</a>Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03269688115898120963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-13700924544854008192009-06-09T07:08:36.240-07:002009-06-09T07:08:36.240-07:00I'm screwed. Spent a huge chunk of my retireme...I'm screwed. Spent a huge chunk of my retirement funds (so I could live to see retirement) on medical expenses that my "insurance" company refused to pay. Meanwhile, if I was poor and on Medicaid or older and on Medicare, the government would pay for all my procedures even if death was imminent. The bastards.<br /><br />Hell medicare used to pay for any little thing my parents needed and operations that we knew wouldn't save their lives. Except for the pharmacy benefits which sucked, medicare was pretty good for them. My friend's parents were on Medicaid and they got even better care... and they were over 85 years old. The way things are now we'll be lucky to live that long.Liz Blondsensehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16031061333650846105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-24064609359682134202009-06-09T05:15:47.109-07:002009-06-09T05:15:47.109-07:00Whew.......Whew.......Ima Wizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03433038947071428711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9612609.post-40740558387613518982009-06-09T00:43:20.158-07:002009-06-09T00:43:20.158-07:00BT
I know, I know cliche but you go dude. (Haven&#...BT<br />I know, I know cliche but you go dude. (Haven't seen a good dude sighting in quite a while)<br /><br />I don't think Medicare as it now stands will work well enough for us all but I don't think it would take that much enhancement to make it much better.<br />And of course you are correct that the money just needs to be moved around to pay for it.<br />Which is why, given the first rule of government - never make anything work or easy if there is a way to make it more expensive or crappy, that I don't see it happening in my lifetime. I hope I'm wrong, I need to be wrong, but given my experience in life I suspect I'm just screwed.Ruckushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18059765383428059804noreply@blogger.com