Q+A: How does healthcare overhaul affect Medicare?

reuters ^ | 3/22/10 | staff

[Nachum]

(Reuters) - The sweeping healthcare overhaul the U.S. House of Representatives approved on Sunday includes about $455 billion in spending cuts for Medicare and other federal health programs over the next 10 years.

Here are some questions and answers about how the reforms will affect the Medicare healthcare program for the elderly.

WILL THE LEGISLATION CUT MEDICARE BENEFITS?

There are no cuts to the traditional Medicare benefit. The lion's share of spending cuts are in Medicare Advantage -- a program that uses private firms such as Humana and UnitedHealth Group to deliver Medicare benefits. Many of these providers offer extra coverage and some of those extras could be dropped as Medicare Advantage subsidies are bought more in line with the cost of traditional Medicare benefits. Medicare Advantage payment rates will be frozen in 2011 and then gradually reduced giving companies time to adjust to the changes.

[ExTexasRedhead]

You bend over and kiss your over 60 rear goodbye.

[Mythbuster1]

Wow, no change to Medicare. Now all I have to do is find a doctor who will take the reduced rates and convince the death panel that I should have expensive surgery at my age. In fact, just finding a doctor anywhere in the U.S. will be a challenge (for everyone).

Wait, maybe I could go to Canada to get my surgery; oh never mind End of Life Planning, Palliative Care, and Euthenasia will be the new buzz words among the senior set.

[DieNarrin]

No change...wow, we really will believe anything.

[greeneyes]

The big changes for Medicare will come from the Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research which was tucked into the Porkulus Bill. They will be responsible for determining which procedures are “effective”.

Procedures not deemed effective will not be available, in order to reduce costs. No they will not pull the plug on Granny-She just will not be allowed to go on life support to begin with.

[freekitty]

It’s a good way to get rid of the baby boomers. This was their plan too as well as trying to get rid of the many people on ss.