Medicare for everyone is a public option

GCTMT · Oct 22, 2009

Here's hoping that she is close. We need a public option.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Oct 22, 2009

Say hello to "Medicare Part E"-as in, "Medicare for Everyone."
House Democrats are looking at re-branding the public health insurance option as Medicare, an established government healthcare program that is better known than the public option.
...
"One of his concerns is that people don't know what a public option is. Medicare is a public option," Schadl said. He said Oberstar started talking about "Medicare for Everyone" during August town hall meetings.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/64029-medicare-for-everyone

azhiker96, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2009

I would love to see "Medicare part E" put into this reform. An expanded program would provide the stimulus needed for Congress to fix some of the payment problems with Medicare and maybe even look at ways to reduce the cost of health care instead of just reducing the reimbursement.

GCTMT · Oct 22, 2009

So, are they considering changing the name of the public option, or incorporating it within Medicare as it currently exists?

HM2VikingRN, RN · Oct 23, 2009

The yellow triangle represents the sort of "Zone of Compromise". I'm pretty sure that a co-ops provision, with immediate implementation, could pass the Senate (or at least not be filibustered by it). Likewise with Olympia Snowe's trigger. A strong-ish opt-in amendment proposed by Maria Cantwell was approved by the Senate Finance Committee along party lines, but did not get Snowe's vote; it might or might not pass the full Senate.
Basically, any square that is overlapped by the triangle seems like a plausible outcome. The most robust public option available is probably a federally-run program that states would have the right to opt out of and which would have to negotiate its rates in the market. The worst-case scenario is probably state level programs with an extremely stingy trigger, as proposed by Snowe. (This is assuming, of course, that health care reform as a whole will pass, which people may be a little bit too sanguine about.)

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/10/public-option-playing-field-in-two.html

HM2VikingRN, RN · Oct 23, 2009

[YOUTUBE]

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The push is on for a strong public option...

allnurses Guide · Nov 6, 2009

Do you really want choice and control over your healthcare?

There is still hope for real change.

Katie82, RN · Nov 7, 2009

I would love to see "Medicare part E" put into this reform. An expanded program would provide the stimulus needed for Congress to fix some of the payment problems with Medicare and maybe even look at ways to reduce the cost of health care instead of just reducing the reimbursement.

CMS is trying desperatly to come up with options that will make it more cost effective. I worked with one such pilot program, and am getting ready to work with another. I work for a state funded program that provides care management to Medicaid recipients. Insuring that our patients are receiving evidence-based quality care in a cost effective manner is our goal, and we have been successful in saving the state millions. The feds are now looking at us to do the same for Medicare patients. Making Medicare managed care is a given - one that is meeting a lot of resistence from both providers and recipients. If they could just get a handle on all the fraud and abuse involved in Medicare, the gov would save billions. I look forward to being able to do a little of that.

tewdles, RN · Nov 8, 2009

Because people can be greedy and unethical there can be fraud and abuse in any insurance system...uh....any system....uh...any business, in any type of government in any country on this planet.

Onekidneynurse · Nov 8, 2009

Because people can be greedy and unethical there can be fraud and abuse in any insurance system...uh....any system....uh...any business, in any type of government in any country on this planet.

And that's what you want to move to. Will you be able to sue your government? You can sue an insurance company. And probably win. There is fraud yes. But when an entity knows about it and does nothing that is unexcusable.

And because the government condones fraud that's why they shouldn't be in any business. Look at what they've allowed in Fort Hood Texas. A man with a poor performance review, ranting against the US ARMY and then being allowed to take care of our soldiers. Yeah that's a great government.

GCTMT · Nov 8, 2009

And that's what you want to move to. Will you be able to sue your government? You can sue an insurance company. And probably win. There is fraud yes. But when an entity knows about it and does nothing that is unexcusable.
And because the government condones fraud that's why they shouldn't be in any business. Look at what they've allowed in Fort Hood Texas. A man with a poor performance review, ranting against the US ARMY and then being allowed to take care of our soldiers. Yeah that's a great government.

Blaming, "the government" for the attrocities at Fort Hood is a bit too much I think. It's a cheap way to make a weak point.