Hospitals, Insurers Oppose Health Bill Compromise On Medicare Buy-In

[TomCADem]

Source: Kaiser Health News

Groups representing doctors and hospitals are coming out against the inclusion of a Medicare "buy-in" in the Senate health bill, The Washington Post reports. The groups joined Republicans in arguing "that a plan by liberal Democrats to allow uninsured individuals as young as 55 to buy into Medicare would be financially untenable and would jeopardize access to health-care services for millions of Americans."

The organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the Federation of American Hospitals and the American Medical Association, said the proposal would hurt their members because Medicare pays providers at a lower rate than private insurers. "Hospital representatives said the idea also would violate a deal they reached with the White House this year to give up $155 billion in Medicare payments over the next decade. The concession helped to lower the cost of a health-care package that promised hospitals a pool of at least 30 million newly insured customers" (Murray and Montgomery, 12/10).

USA Today: "Though the idea gained traction on Capitol Hill — and got a boost from President Obama — the outcry from the medical groups underscored the difficulty lawmakers are facing as they look for compromises that can win broad support for the Senate's bill, which would cost $848 billion in the first 10 years. 'Bringing more people into a system that doesn't work very well is not a good answer,' said Jeffrey Korsmo, executive director of the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center. 'The current Medicare program is not sustainable'" (Fritze, 12/10).

The New York Times: "The American Hospital Association issued an action alert on Tuesday urging its members to oppose the plan and to call their senators’ offices. ... The Federation of American Hospitals also issued a bulletin ... 'Any Medicare Buy-In would invariably lead to crowd out of the private health insurance market, placing more people into Medicare,' the group said. 'It is critical that you contact your Democratic Senators today!'" (Pear and Herszenhorn, 12/9).



Read more: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2009/December/10/Industry-Reax-To-Senate-Health-Deal.aspx

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Shoot. Can you imagine if Medicare for all was on the table?

[the blues]

1. K&R

Horrors!

[Newsjock]

2. And what are we going to do about it?

What can we do? Hell if I know.

[PSPS]

3. This isn't LBN. It's a self-serving press release from Kaiser.

[Newsjock]

4. Different organization

http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/FAQ.aspx

Is there a relationship between KHN and Kaiser Permanente?

Neither KHN nor Kaiser Family Foundation is affiliated in any way with the health insurance company Kaiser Permanente.

[TomCADem]

5. NY Times Has The Same Story - "Hospitals Oppose Early Medicare Access"

Even if it is self-serving, it is self-serving in that they are attacking the expansion of Medicare:

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/hospitals-oppose-early-medicare-access/

Hospital groups are mobilizing against a proposal under consideration by Senate Democrats to let some people ages 55 to 64 buy insurance coverage through Medicare beginning in 2011.

Hospitals, doctors and other health care providers often complain that Medicare payment rates are insufficient to cover their expenses.

The proposal is part of a tentative deal that Democrats have sent for a cost analysis by the Congressional Budget Office.

Liberals are seeking the Medicare buy-in provision in exchange for agreeing not to push for a new government-run insurance plan, or public option, to compete with private insurers.

[AlbertCat]

6. "Hospitals Oppose Early Medicare Access"

A hospital! What is it?!

It's a big building with patients (that opposes early medicare access) but that's not important now.










Don't they mean the people who OWN hospitals oppose early medicare access?

[Tunkamerica]

10. No, everyone in the hospital including all patients and all their families

... also the bricks and mortar, the drugs themselves are on the fence but the families of crows that call the rooftops home are all for it.

[midnight]

7. This action by the FAH seems like a conflict of interest.....

Doctors jobs are to provide medical treatment, and this medicare for all gives doctors that privilege, but the docs are asked to oppose it? Big Bad Move....

[2Design]

8. Soooo it must be a good idea for the common person n/t

[gateley]

9. If the Insurers are against it, then that's what I want! nt

[Javaman]

11. So what exactly happened over these last several months regarding health care?

oh that's right, THEY ALL CAVED.

Now we are trying to get a bone thrown to us and even that will be dipped in shit.

Weeeee!!! Our government loves us!!!

:banghead: