Medicare ‘Advantage’? Private carve-outs cost more
Bad policy should be bad politics.
Nevertheless, a group of members of Congress recently persisted in promoting a wasteful private-sector subsidy that undermines the highly successful Medicare program.
The Iowa Hospital Association, in a recent Twitter post, noted the letter from 58 House members against President Obama’s nomination of Dr. Donald Berwick to head the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services. The letter claims that health reform could jeopardize so-called “Medicare Advantage” programs.
We can only hope.
As shown in the graph at right, public-sector health insurance provides better bang for the buck than private insurance.
Moreover, specifically with regard to Medicare Advantage, substantial evidence and expert analysis has demonstrated the parasitic effects of such programs on traditional Medicare.
See an excellent primer that breaks down the problems with Medicare Advantage plans and why it is that these private carve-outs from Medicare drive up costs and make it more difficult to serve Americans who depend on Medicare.
Posted by Mike Owen, Assistant Director
Explore posts in the same categories: Budget and Tax, Economic OpportunityTags: health care, medicaid, Medicare
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