I say Bravo for this cogent piece by Henry Kotula laying out the key conceptual driver of exorbitant healthcare prices – inadequate assessment of value for dollars spent. I argue in this Fixing U.S. Healthcare blog that only a national single-payer system would have sufficient reach and clout to assess cost-benefit and then act – … Continue reading What Does Medicare Actually Cover?
Tag: Medicare
So, You Want Competition to Bring Down Healthcare Costs? – Then, Logically You’re Talking Single-Payer
Debates over fixing U.S. healthcare often end up with each party choosing a side – either “Competition” or “Government.” But in a strange twist of politics, logic, and the broken healthcare market, turns out that Competition and Government are on the same side. Let me explain… In order for there to be competition, there must be … Continue reading So, You Want Competition to Bring Down Healthcare Costs? – Then, Logically You’re Talking Single-Payer
Will New Trump-GOP Tax Plan Trigger PAYGO Cuts to Medicare?
The Trump-GOP tax plan will add to the national debt by $1 trillion (Joint Committee on Taxation) or $1.4 trillion (Congressional Budget Office). Under the pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) law, Congress will need to make a choice to cut Medicare or to allow the increase of the national debt. The PAYGO law says that the revenue shortfall … Continue reading Will New Trump-GOP Tax Plan Trigger PAYGO Cuts to Medicare?
FAQ: Could a Healthcare Reform Plan Designed for a Single State Work at a National Level?
Could an approach used 23 years ago by a single state, targeted only at its Medicaid program, be applied on a national scale for reforming the vast U.S. healthcare system? The answer is Yes. Oregon in 1994 decided to cut services instead of cutting patients in response to a Medicaid budget squeeze. The governor used … Continue reading FAQ: Could a Healthcare Reform Plan Designed for a Single State Work at a National Level?