Problems with expanding Medicare

Those advocating for expanding Medicare as part of a public health option need to recognize the following:

1. Many doctors refuse to take Medicare patients because of low reimbursement schedules

2. Medicare patients have to pay for their own annual physical exams if they can find a doctor.

3. Medicare payments to hospitals fail to cover patient costs forcing them to raise prices for those insured by private insurance companies to make up for shortfall.

4. President Obama plans to expand coverage to 44 million currently not insured.

5. Increasing the numbers of Medicare patients will force hospitals to further raise costs for private insurers causing them to lose members to the cheaper public option. (26 million per CBO)

6. Obama’s plan to fund the public option plan is to cut some $600-900 billion from Medicare payments over the next 10 years.

One does not have to be an accountant to recognize that the numbers simply do not add up. In any case, as a Medicare user for the last five years, I don’t look forward to the future if this plan goes through.

Bill Hirt, Bellevue

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