[inquest]

But your idea of doing away with medicare might be right but it is not done overnite. It takes a little bit at a time--chipping away at the infrastructure. With medicare kept within private enterprise and with monies spent (which you have been spending since you first got your first paycheck for hospital and doctor payments, and medical supplies, etc spent ina more efficient manner)perhaps there will be a change.

I don't see why it needs to be that complicated. I'm all in favor of a gradual elimination of Medicare, too. Seems to me the most obvious way to do it gradually is simply to gradually decrease the size ($) of the program till it gets to zero.

[olliemb]

The american government has a commitment to the medicare age people. There was a promise made to them when they contributed to the system. So, we cannot back away from this promise. But if we slowly turn this huge ship toward the right with the coverage going for drugs. Believe me that is how CVS pharmacy, HMO, PPO deliver on their drug prescription coverage--the bid goes to the lowest bidder and then generic replacemnt of trade name drugs takes place. How do you think the insurance companies can keep up with chemotherapy, mail in prescription plans? There is mass volume. It is far cheaper to turn this ship around than to pursue a crash into financial oblivion with caring for critically ill patients. Much easier to care for the well patients than those who come in crashing b/c their diseases were not controlled. Look at AIDS. If you get on AIDS treatment early you can live a very productive life. You don't wait til your cells are so low that there is nothing to do except extraordinary measures.