Gov't to cut medicare fees

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Gov't to cut medicare fees

Submitted by Rick on Sat, 11/19/2005 - 6:52pm.

From The New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 - The Bush administration is headed for a clash with the nation's doctors over a federal plan to cut their Medicare fees by 4.4 percent next year, even as the government tries to measure the quality of care they provide.

Doctors say that if the cut occurs, some physicians will be less willing to accept new Medicare patients.

[snip]

Dr. Stephen C. Albrecht, a family doctor in Olympia, Wash., said 20 percent of his patients were on Medicare. If payments are cut next year, he said, it would be 'economic nonsense' for him to continue participating in the program.

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I don't think Bush's plan has

Submitted by Robert Whitlock on Sat, 11/19/2005 - 7:38pm.

I don't think Bush's plan has much of a chance, personally. But I don't know much about it, or the political climate. Should we be dependent on DC for providing health care to those who can't otherwise afford it?

What are some alternatives? Could we develop a state run system for health care to make sure everyone has access to a qualified health professional in times of need?

No, socialized medicine won't

Submitted by OlyCop on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 8:20am.

No, socialized medicine won't work. Look at France, Canada, and others. I don't know of a place that it does work. And the working man is already over taxed. Medical costs do suck, and in retirement it will cost us a pretty penny. But I have yet to see a system like you allude to that would get the job done.

Are you suggesting that our s

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 10:19am.

Are you suggesting that our system is getting the job done now? How many millions of people without healthcare does it take before we admit that our system isn't getting the job done?

So Rick who supports the soci

Submitted by OlyCop on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 10:30am.

So Rick who supports the social system. Name a socialized medical system that has been successful.

First of all, "universal heal

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 12:00pm.

First of all, universal health insurance is not the same thing as "socialized medicine":

Socialized medicine is a system in which doctors and hospitals work for the government and draw salaries from the government. Doctors in the Veterans Administration and the Armed Services are paid this way. Examples also exist in Great Britain and Spain. But in most European countries, Canada, Australia and Japan they have socialized financing, or socialized health insurance, not socialized medicine. The government pays for care that is delivered in the private (mostly not-for-profit) sector.

Now let's look at the life expectancy of these countries (WHO numbers from 2003):

Austrailia -- 81.0
Canada -- 80.0
Japan -- 82.0
Spain -- 80.0
UK -- 79.0

All of these countries have a life expectancy that is higher than that in the US (77.3). Don't you think that has something to do with the health care in those countries?

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. We spend 1/3 more on our health care system (15% of GDP) than most other developed nations (10%).

Rick It appears that men i

Submitted by OlyCop on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 5:20pm.

Rick

It appears that men in the US live to 75 women to 80 on the site you link to. So I don't see it's that big of deal. And is it the health care system or other factors? And who pays for it, how much longer do they have to work to retire, because they pay so much in taxes?

Other contries typically pay

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 8:29pm.

Other contries typically pay more taxes than we do in the US of A. Also, I'm sure they have the same split where women live longer than men. That seems to be something about the genetics of being a man vs a woman, not about the environment (i.e., health care).

Our health care system has it

Submitted by OlyCop on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 8:50pm.

Our health care system has its problems, but no way do we want to go socialized.

I'm saying there is a middle

Submitted by Rick on Sun, 11/20/2005 - 9:03pm.

I'm saying there is a middle way to go: single payer, universal coverage. It's not socialized medicine 'cause the providers are the same. But the important change is that the gov't gets to negotiate lower prices for services and prescriptions. Older folks are getting screwed on medicaid part d right now because the big drug companies lobbied the #$&!& out of congress so that seniors can't negotiate as a group. The VA can negotiate for vets, and they get much better prices.

I agree its tough for the sen

Submitted by OlyCop on Mon, 11/21/2005 - 5:34am.

I agree its tough for the seniors. My mother is experiancing that. And like I said, it will be a pinch for us in retirement. If you have a link to a model plan I would like to see it.

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