Inquiry on Medicare Finds Improper Limits on Choices

[Eye and Monkey]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/28/politics/28medicare.html

Published: September 28, 2004

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 - Federal investigators said Monday that the Bush administration had improperly allowed some private health plans to limit Medicare patients' choice of health care providers, including doctors, nursing homes and home care agencies.

The investigators, from the Government Accountability Office, also said that the private plans had increased out-of-pocket costs for the elderly and had not saved money for the government, contrary to predictions by Medicare officials.

The study, the most comprehensive assessment of a demonstration project that the administration has described as the best hope for Medicare's future, focused on the program's experience with a form of managed care known as preferred provider organizations, the type of health insurance most popular among people under 65.

Medicare is spending $650 to $750 a year more for each beneficiary in such private plans than it would have spent if the same people stayed in traditional Medicare, the investigators said.
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[aquart]

1. Gosh. What a surprise. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.

[denverbill]

2. But, but, but....privatization is our salvation.

It's worked wonders for the military. We are only paying Halliburton 10 times as much to provide meals and laundry for our soldiers as if the military had done it on it's own.

[Beetwasher]

3. Big Brother Says "Privatization Is GOOD For You! Corporations CARE!"

We only want what's best for you and the corporation knows what's best for you.

[Rose Siding]

4. The GOP KNOWS it can screw with anything that doesn't fit in a sound bite

Hey, maybe Ripping Off The Elderly *does* fit.

[Rose Siding]

5. AP headline: White House Violated Law on Medicare

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20040928/ap_on_go_pr_wh/medicare_managed_care

They are pushing PPO's JUST when one of their biggest scare tactics is that You Won't Get To Chose Your Own Doctors!

Crooks and liars, all.

[Eye and Monkey]

9. I like that headline MUCH better.

[The empressof all]

6. When are people going to wake up and realize

Privatized Managed Care is a money-making scam. It is perhaps the biggest factor in the sky rocketing cost of health-care across the US.

[Cocoa]

7. in case anyone is wondering...

Dr. McClellan is Scotty's brother.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_McClellan

[Amigust]

12. Like Liar, Like Brother

eom

[Supersedeas]

8. * bureaucrats siding with private plans instead of taxpayers - NO WAY

[MisterP]

10. there seems to be a pattern to privatization:

Enron, Halliburton, tort reform, airlines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, etc., etc.
But Ayn Rand and Marge Thatcher cultists say "we care about the poor" or say "we're Democrats," and people fall all over them.

[struggle4progress]

11. kick for the "ownership society"

:kick: "we own you and don't forget it" :kick: