No one is against cutting the growth of Medicare spending...but tell me if this Independent Advisory Board (how can it be advisory if it's decisions are binding?) is empowered to whack in the rate of increase in Medicare spending by about 25- 50 percent a year over 10 years starting now...
Here's the OMB director to Harry Reid saying all bets are off when it comes to the human cost:
"Based on this extrapolation, CBO expects that Medicare spending under the legislation
would increase at an average annual rate of roughly 6 percent during the next two
decades—well below the roughly 8 percent annual growth rate of the past two decades
(excluding the effect of establishing the Medicare prescription drug benefit). Adjusting
for inflation, Medicare spending per beneficiary under the legislation would increase at
an average annual rate of roughly 2 percent during the next two decades—well below the
roughly 4 percent annual growth rate of the past two decades. It is unclear whether such a
reduction in the growth rate could be achieved, and if so, whether it would be
accomplished through greater efficiencies in the delivery of health care or would reduce
access to care or diminish the quality of care. "
And if so, will it even offset the explosion in costs triggered by tossing money to millions of middle class people for more generous health care or stem the exodus of doctors stuck with a 20-30 percent loss of income...
The impact of this legislation, if implemented, will reverberate through our culture and politics for decades.
Here's the OMB director to Harry Reid saying all bets are off when it comes to the human cost:
"Based on this extrapolation, CBO expects that Medicare spending under the legislation
would increase at an average annual rate of roughly 6 percent during the next two
decades—well below the roughly 8 percent annual growth rate of the past two decades
(excluding the effect of establishing the Medicare prescription drug benefit). Adjusting
for inflation, Medicare spending per beneficiary under the legislation would increase at
an average annual rate of roughly 2 percent during the next two decades—well below the
roughly 4 percent annual growth rate of the past two decades. It is unclear whether such a
reduction in the growth rate could be achieved, and if so, whether it would be
accomplished through greater efficiencies in the delivery of health care or would reduce
access to care or diminish the quality of care. "
And if so, will it even offset the explosion in costs triggered by tossing money to millions of middle class people for more generous health care or stem the exodus of doctors stuck with a 20-30 percent loss of income...
The impact of this legislation, if implemented, will reverberate through our culture and politics for decades.
