Medicare
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Loss of Medicare Buy-In Not the Major Setback Some Assume
December 18, 2009
A recent proposal to allow people aged 55 to 64 to “buy in” to Medicare would have done relatively little to increase competition in the market for health insurance, and health reformers should not greatly mourn its removal from the legislation that the Senate is considering. In the absence of a robust public health insurance plan, … -
Podcast: Disproving Claims That Medicare Cuts Don’t Stick
December 4, 2009
James Horney and Paul Van de Water, former senior CBO officials now at the Center, discuss their new analysis, which finds that recent claims that the House and Senate health bills are not really paid for — because the track record shows that Congress will never allow the bills’ Medicare savings to take effect — are belied by the historical record. MIT health economist Jonathan Gruber assesses measures in the bills to restrain health care costs.
Duration: 26:10
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Press Release: Congress Has Allowed Most Previous Medicare Cuts to Take Effect, New Study Shows
December 4, 2009
Despite claims that the pending health reform bills aren’t really paid for because Congress never lets Medicare savings take effect, Congress has allowed the vast majority of Medicare cuts that it enacted in the past two decades to take effect and produce significant savings, a new study shows. The analysis, by James Horney and Paul Van de Water, … -
House-Passed and Senate Health Bills Reduce Deficit, Slow Health Care Costs, and Include Realistic Medicare Savings
December 4, 2009
Health reform legislation that has passed the House in one form and is before the Senate in another is facing a series of attacks that, taken together, suggest the legislation would do little to control health care costs and would increase budget deficits. Many of these charges are exaggerated or simply … -
Increasing Medicare Tax on High-Wage Earners Could Help Pay for Health Reform and Strengthen Medicare’s Finances
November 13, 2009
Increasing the Medicare payroll tax on high-wage earners would represent a sound and well-targeted way of paying for health reform. It would also improve the solvency of Medicare’s Hospital Insurance (HI) trust fund and thereby strengthen this critical program, which provides health coverage for 46 million seniors and persons with disabilities. … -
House Health Reform Bill Would Strengthen Medicare
Updated November 2, 2009
The comprehensive health reform bill (H.R. 3962)[1] unveiled by House Democratic leaders on October 29 includes a number of significant changes to the Medicare program that would enhance benefits and improve the quality of care, as well as shore up the program’s finances.[2] Much of the discussion of Medicare in the health reform debate has focused, however, on various proposals … -
Ending Medicare Advantage Overpayments Would Strengthen Medicare
September 14, 2009
One of the key cost-saving provisions Congress is considering as part of health reform legislation would eliminate the large overpayments Medicare makes to the private “Medicare Advantage” health plans that serve some Medicare beneficiaries. While private plans ostensibly were brought into Medicare to reduce costs, they … -
“Upcoding” Problem Exacerbates Overpayments to Medicare Advantage Plans
Revised September 14, 2009
Private plans were brought into Medicare on the theory that they could deliver Medicare services at lower cost. However, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) — Congress’s expert advisory body on Medicare payment policy — has found that Medicare pays private plans 14 percent more than it costs to … -
2009 Trustees’ Report Underscores Urgency of Health Reform, Medicare Changes
May 18, 2009
The 2009 annual report of Medicare’s trustees underscores the need for system-wide reform of health care financing that will slow the growth of health care costs in both Medicare and the private sector and extend health coverage to the uninsured. [1] In evaluating the new report, it is … -
Podcast: The 2009 Social Security and Medicare Trustees' Reports
May 12, 2009
The Social Security and Medicare Trustees' report on Medicare underscores the urgency of health care reforms to slow health care cost growth, starting with President Obama’s proposed Medicare reforms. The Trustees’ report shows Social Security doesn’t face an immediate crisis but does require changes, and the sooner they’re made, the better.
Duration 14:58
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Statement: Robert Greenstein on Trustees’ Report on Medicare
May 12, 2009
The new trustees’ disturbing report on Medicare underscores the urgency that Congress enact health care reform that slows the growth of health care costs, while extending coverage to the uninsured. In particular, the report should prod Congress to adopt the President’s proposed … -
Statement: Robert Greenstein to Health Reform Financing Roundtable of the Senate Finance Committee
May 12, 2009
Thank you for inviting me to discuss health care reform financing issues. This is an important aspect of health care reform. Financing is Critical Some 46 million Americans are uninsured, a problem that other western industrialized nations have been able to address. In addition, rising health care costs … -
Rules of the Road: How an Insurance Exchange Can Pool Risk and Protect Enrollees
March 31, 2009
Several leading proposals for major health reform include a new entity — sometimes called an “exchange” — that would offer a choice of health insurance plans to individuals and, if designed well, provide insurance options that are affordable, comprehensive, and easy for consumers to compare. The proposals on … -
Curbing Medicare Advantage Overpayments Could Benefit Millions of Low-Income and Minority Americans
February 19, 2009
More than 25 million Americans belonging to minority groups lack health coverage; minorities constitute 34 percent of the nation’s population but nearly 55 percent of the uninsured. Enactment of comprehensive health reform that achieves universal coverage would therefore disproportionately benefit minorities. One way to help finance …
