A Battle to Change Medicare Is Brewing, Whether Trump Wants It or Not

NY Times ^ | Nov 25 2016 | NY Times

[WilliamIII]

WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump once declared that campaigning for “substantial” changes to Medicare would be a political death wish.

But with Election Day behind them, emboldened House Republicans say they will move forward on a years-old effort to shift Medicare away from its open-ended commitment to pay for medical services and toward a fixed government contribution for each beneficiary.

The idea rarely came up during Mr. Trump’s march toward the White House, but a battle over the future of Medicare could roil Washington during his first year in office, whether he wants it or not.

[JusPasenThru]

Capitation was a disaster for commercial insurance. What do you say we try it at the Federal level?

[JonPreston]

Kick illegals off Medicaid and we’ll be fine.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

The first thing I would do with Medicare is mandate that no more than 12% of every health care dollar spent by Medicare can go to administrative costs - with cheating punishable by mandatory imprisonment for at least 2 years. Administrative costs are over 26% in US healthcare, as opposed to 12-15% in Europe and elsewhere. By doing this, you wouldn't have to specifically address how to decrease administrative costs. The administrators whose salaries are paid out of that money would sort themselves out - likely by decreasing the number of administrators markedly. This would be an automatic cost reduction of at least 10-15% across the board. Insurance companies would follow suit. It would streamline medicine, and put more of the money where it's supposed to be, in the direct care of patients.

[WilliamIII]

Kick illegals off Medicare

Sorry, I get the sense Paul Ryan wants illegals to stay on - and you and me to pay more. Ryan seems to think he won the election, not trump. Maybe he’s right

[Mouton]

The issue came up rarely because it is not an issue.

[WilliamIII]

What do you mean, “it’s not an issue”?

If Ryan pushes for it, it becomes an issue - and it could derail Trumps own agenda on immigration, etc. Maybe that’s Ryan’s plan?

The good news, Trump could support primaries against Repubs who side with Ryan, and clear the party of the Ryanists. Seniors will gladly vote against them

[Dr. Sivana]

Trump didn’t run on it. He ran on a lot of stuff, some of it big government stuff I am not big on, but I think he should work on the numerous promises he made. No free riders. Wait till 2020 for that stuff.

[rocksblues]

So Ryan pushes for this, Trump vetoes it and Ryan cannot overturn the veto.

[Gay State Conservative]

Just in time for my retirement.I paid into it...since I was 16...and now they're gonna shut the door on me.Of course Ryan will have a solid gold plan even if he lives to be 100.

[Mouton]

Ryan has been pushing for this since 2011. It has little support from what I see.

[rbg81]

But, of course, we have an unlimited checkbook for taking care of illegals and their offspring.

[Billyv]

How do you say “ Lame Duck Rinos”? Oh, yeah, “Ryan, McConnell”

Anyone surprised?

[Dick Bachert]

EXACTLY!!!

[WilliamIII]

If they start pushing this, Trump needs to publicly promise a veto

Trump promised that repealing and replacing Obamacare would be job 1. I haven’t heard anything in recent days - are they going to move forward or chicken out?

[Whenifhow]

It seems like obamacare is taking money from Medicare so if obamacare is repealed the depletion of funds will stop.

[goodnesswins]

Don’t get your hopes up...I’m 4ecently on Medicare...first find a good doc who takes Medicare...2nd I had to have an MRU...Medicare paid about $120 of the $950 charge...

[cherry]

make all govt employees go on medicare and let them buy their won supplement....this includes all of them...

[M. Thatcher]

Ryan is trying to clog the schedule to derail Trump.

[odawg]

“Trump didn’t run on it.”

What is “it”? One of Trump’s major promises was/is to repeal and replace Obamacare.