GOP plan (H.R. 3356): "Sorry, Granny. If you want that operation you need to OPT OUT of Medicare."

[Faryn Balyncd]

Here's the story the corporate media won't cover:




While the GOP is stirring up seniors with the BIG LIE that Democrats will "mess with Medicare", the GOP is moving to repeal Medicare universality and thereby turn Medicare into an second-class, indigent program.

The GOP knows that Medicare universality is the lynchpin upon which provider participation depends.

They know that if Medicare ceases to be universal, that it will open the floodgates to provider non-participation in Medicare.

If a Medicare enrollee can be forced to "opt out" in order to access care, he will see insurance premiums based upon non-Medicare rates.

Because of the non-transparent pricing system, in which hospitals and insurance companies consider contracted prices as protected proprietary trade secrets, current pricing data is difficult to document. But one consequence of our non-transparent pricing system, which the insurance industry has created, is erratic, arbitrary pricing, even when the Medicare rate is more than adequate:

In Houston, Texas, for example, the Medicare rate for an outpatient thallium stress test is $1100, while private insurance company approved rates at various hospitals within 100 miles have been documented to be as low as $1700, and as high as $6200, while "self pay" patients (including those denied insurance) have been charged a fantasy "regular rate" of as much as $7200.

In this same city, an RN (under age 65 and in the private system) who underwent coronary bypass had charges of over $700,000 (without complications & without an extended hospitalization), and a school custodian whose insurance company had a contracted price of $8200 for outpatient shockwave lithotripsy was personally billed $67,000 by the hospital as a "regular price" when his insurance company denied payment as a pre-existing condition.







16 House Republicans at this very moment are co-sponsoring legislation H.R. 3356 to repeal the universality of Medicare

Such legislation would EMPOWER PROVIDERS, for the first time, with the option to make extortionary demands that Medicare enrollees "opt out" of Medicare, and "opt in" to a discriminatory and arbitrary medical pricing system in order to access quality care.

The only thing that matches the chutzpah of Republicans posing as defenders of Medicare is their back-up plan: JUDICIAL ACTIVISM. That's right, if the GOP can't legislate in Congress, they will try to have Scalia, Roberts, Thomas, Alito, et al do exactly what the GOP constantly alleges Democrats do - - legislate through the courts:

Former House Republican leader Dick Armey is suing Kathleen Sebelius to judicially rescind the universality of Medicare.









We need to reframe the public discourse to reflect this harsh truth:

While the GOP peddles the myth that Democrats seek to weaken Medicare, Republicans are working through legislation & judicial challenge to RESCIND the universality of Medicare, and EMPOWER PROVIDERS, for the first time, with the option to demand that enrollees "OPT OUT" of Medicare (and forfeit Medicare rates) in order to access quality care.

By seeking to rescind Medicare universality, Republicans are peddling a system which would rapidly turn Medicare into a second-class, indigent program, with limited provider participation.

Exposing senior citizens to the extortionary demands of "Opt out of Medicare if you want quality care" is what the GOP means when they have the gall to talk about "freedom of choice."





That's the story the corporate media won't cover.

We're not ONLY fighting for Universal Healthcare.... We're in a fight with people who want to destroy Medicare itself.







:kick:

[tanyev]

1. GOP SOP: Accuse the other side of the things you are actually doing.

[laughingliberal]

2. Couldn't hurt to write the networks and ask them to cover it nt

May not work but if they are flooded with letters they might see fit to mention it.

[Frustratedlady]

7. I sent it to Rachel and Keith.

Hopefully, one of them will look into it.

[Faryn Balyncd]

8. Bill Moyers mentioned Armey's suit, but even he has not discussed the full ramifications........

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/20/83859/5401

Here's a link to his recent journal, in which he mentions Armey's suit to allow a person to opt out of Medicare (without opting out of Social Security)....But Moyer's has not really gone into the ramifications of what would occur if Armey's lawsuit, or H.R. 3356, or any of the other Republican attempts to rescind the universality of Medicare were to succeed. He does not mention the effect this would have on provider participation, and the issue of continued access to quality care under Medicare, should it cease to remain universal.

[Frustratedlady]

13. Anything that Armey does should be analyzed closely.

[Frustratedlady]

3. They seem to be so scared of what all Obama is doing...he works too fast for them...

but I am more frightened of what they do behind closed doors. This is awful.

Hopefully, it will be ignored...right?

[Alameda]

4. This is a very important story. I hope everyone will read it.

To add to this, as a new Medicare recipient, I've been digging through all the various options for Senior Advantage programs. They require you sign your Medicare benefits over to them. You then have to choose from their network of services.

Actually if you look at the Medicare pages, you get a lot in Medicare. Why would I want to restrict myself?

[dajoki]

5. K&R

[inna]

6. extraordinarily important post! KR+14

what bastards. :grr:

[Vinca]

9. Medicare Advantage was their first shot at privatizing Medicare.

There's no reason for any insurance company to be sucking up taxpayer dollars when the only "advantage" is to them. Many Republicans would love to repeal Medicare entirely and let grandma wing it on her own.

[Faryn Balyncd]

11. To know the results of rescinding Medicare universality one need only look at Kelsey Seybold Clinic:

Medicare patients are covered either under traditional Medicare, or under Medicare Advantage Plans, which pay larger amounts to provodiders.

Consequently, for several years Kelsey-Seybold Clinic increasingly steered their patients to their Medicare Advantage Plans.

As od January 1, 2009, Kelsey-Seybold, the largest multi-specialty and internal medicine group in Houston with over 300 physicians, abruptly pted out of traditional Medicare, telling all Medicare patients they must either enroll in one of their Medicare Advantage Plans or find care elsewhere.

The universality of Medicare is the primary bulwark preventing physicians & other providers from opting out of Medicare entirely.

If Medicare universality is rescinded, it will open the floodgates to physician non-participation. It would empower providers to tell their patients that they must either opt out of Medicare or find other physicians.

However, unlike the situation with Kelsey-Seybold, in which case the alternative was a Medicare Advantage, which because of government funding pay providers more, but still keeps the patients under the protection of Medicare pricing, the situation would be far worse outside of Medicare entirely: Opting out of Medicare entirely (not presently feasible because it currently means opting out of Social Security as well) would leave the patient liable for whatever exorbitant prices providers choose to charge (just as younger Americans are now), and insurance premiums would reach the unimaginable.


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6268167.html



The lesson from Kelsey Seybold is clear: If Medicare universality is rescinded, and providers can charge more by demanding that patients opt out of Medicare and into a plan that is more profitable for providers, they will.

[yellerpup]

10. Terrific story.

I'll be looking forward to a petition on this issue. Thanks for laying it out. :kick: &R!

[samsingh]

12. the gop is evil and UnAmerican