“Medicare has lower administrative costs”

Wednesday, August 13th, 2008

I often hear this from people who defeind confiscating taxpayer's money without their consent to pay for a government run insurance program for the elderly.  They use this argument to justify wanting "Medicare for all."  How does a defender of individual respond?  Here's a way: "If government employees can keep administrative ...

Medicare pays squat, Pathways HomeCare Center closes

Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Earlier this month ABC news reported that physicians were dropping Medicare patients because the program paid then too little.  Last week the Denver Business Journal reported that Pathways HomeCare Center of Aurora, which provides medical supplies and durable medical equipment to Medicare and Medicaid patients, will close as of Thursday, July 31, general manager ...

Incremental persuasion: Medicare and Medicaid

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

This post is about incremental persuasion and Medicare, and is intended for those who value each individual's freedom to choose whether or not to give to charity, which charity to support, and persuading others to share the same value.  If this does not describe you, I beg of you not ...

More doctors drop Medicare patients

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

I like Ted Kennedy's slogan "Medicare for all." It reminds voters that America already has a highly successful, popular single-payer program, albeit only for the elderly. — Paul Krugman, June 13 2005 How "highly successful" is Medicare?  Consider the following story from ABC News: The Houston Chronicle reported last week that more ...

Overtreated with Medicare

Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

According to the OECD, patients in the United States pay only 13% of their medical expenses out of pocket (as of 2005).  This is equal to the United Kingdom, and less than Canada, both of which have (nominally) single-payer health care.  The consequence of patients spending so little for their own ...

Dehumanizing doctors

Tuesday, July 1st, 2008

Problem: Doctors may stop seeing Medicare patients because the reimbursement rates are so low. The solution?  At least one blog commenter wants to make Medicare the only game in town so doctors either put up or shut up.  Bloomberg News reports: James King, a doctor in Selmer, Tenn., doesn’t take new Medicare patients. More ...

Phasing out Medicare

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

Congressman Paul Ryan has outlined a "comprehensive legislative plan called 'A Roadmap for America's Future' in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal . Despite its scary big-government sound, it has some good proposals for medical insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security: [T]here is a growing, bipartisan consensus about the greatest threat to ...