> Medicare is a "disaster" because of the funding cuts, which are a direct result of our tendency to elect assholes to represent us.
Whatever the cause, we're going to continue electing the same kind of people, so if the result of doing so is broken govt healthcare ....
I am curious about the argument that medicare would be less of a disaster with more money. Govt healthcare advocates claim that govt healthcare would make medicare cheaper. That claim is inconsistent with medicare needs more money.
Medicare with more money might well produce better outcomes, but that's not cheaper.
FWIW, Obama's cost numbers assume significant additional medicare cuts. Those cuts aren't likely to happen, but ....
As I've written before, I'm perfectly willing to give Obama free rein over everyone currently covered by govt healthcare (not just IHS, VA, and medicare/medicaid, but govt employees, including state and local govt employees, and maybe the beltway bandits too) to see what happens. Part of the deal is a 5%/covered-person-year cut in years 3-6, which is a bit over 20% total, which should be a slam dunk given the claims of 30% cheaper with better outcomes. (That's starting from what they're spending now to cover those people.)
If he wants to spend the savings on convering more people, great. I'm also open to letting other folks buy in at cost. The only non-negotiables are "all govt employees" and the per-covered-person budget cuts.
If the claims are correct, that experiment will be a huge success. If the claims are wrong, govt employees will revolt. Either way, we'd know.
Whatever the cause, we're going to continue electing the same kind of people, so if the result of doing so is broken govt healthcare ....
I am curious about the argument that medicare would be less of a disaster with more money. Govt healthcare advocates claim that govt healthcare would make medicare cheaper. That claim is inconsistent with medicare needs more money.
Medicare with more money might well produce better outcomes, but that's not cheaper.
FWIW, Obama's cost numbers assume significant additional medicare cuts. Those cuts aren't likely to happen, but ....
As I've written before, I'm perfectly willing to give Obama free rein over everyone currently covered by govt healthcare (not just IHS, VA, and medicare/medicaid, but govt employees, including state and local govt employees, and maybe the beltway bandits too) to see what happens. Part of the deal is a 5%/covered-person-year cut in years 3-6, which is a bit over 20% total, which should be a slam dunk given the claims of 30% cheaper with better outcomes. (That's starting from what they're spending now to cover those people.)
If he wants to spend the savings on convering more people, great. I'm also open to letting other folks buy in at cost. The only non-negotiables are "all govt employees" and the per-covered-person budget cuts.
If the claims are correct, that experiment will be a huge success. If the claims are wrong, govt employees will revolt. Either way, we'd know.