Let’s have real health-care reform, and let’s use a popular, efficient, and successful program that has a track record: Medicare. Medicare is not padded, like private insurers, with profit, exorbitant executive salaries and perks, cost of advertising, and the payroll of staffs of actuaries, agents, salespeople, and lobbyists.
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Here’s the proposal: Expand Medicare in incremental phases.
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This is one way it could work: In Phase I, expand Medicare coverage to those 55 and older; in Phase II, expand coverage to those 35 and older; and in Phase III, expand Medicare to cover everybody.
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If people want more than the basic Medicare coverage, it could be increased by buying supplemental programs as seniors are able to do right now.
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As we get older, our health-care needs increase. At present, Medicare is providing solely for the costliest segment of our population. An expanded Medicare would be more efficient and less expensive by adding a greater, younger, and healthier risk pool to the program.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 3, 2009.
