How Republicans Could Still Succeed At Privatizing Medicare

[Bill USA]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/02/gop-not-giving-up-on-medicare-privatization.php?ref=fpb

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Contrary to Republican claims, Democrats do have a plan to keep Medicare solvent: the plan is to keep its single-payer structure and cut costs on the provider side. The health care reform law lays the framework for such a mechanism starting in 2014 called the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel of 15 presidential-appointed and senate-confirmed members that has the authority to restrict provider payments without congressional approval. (The theory is lawmakers won’t do it on their own.)

[font color="red"]But keeping IPAB alive will be a hard slog. One reason is Republicans are determined to smother it in its cradle: they’ve threatened not to confirm any members to the board, and it’s unlikely Dems will have a filibuster-proof Senate majority anytime soon. The second reason is that health industry opposition to IPAB is so vociferous and united that some Dems are running away from it and signing on to GOP legislation to repeal the panel.[/font]

And fears about what IPAB will mean for their bottom line has led insurance and drug industry heavyweights to champion the premium support {voucher system - uncontrolled cost growth_Bill USA} concept. Behind the scenes they’re part of a growing drumbeat to kill IPAB and move in the direction of vouchers, and Dems aren’t doing much to quell it as of now.

That could come back to haunt them. If IPAB dies, the only proposal on the table to keep Medicare solvent in the long run could well be something akin to the Ryan concept. And while Republicans are taking the political hits for sticking by the approach and portraying it as inevitable, Dems have barely worked to build support for implementing IPAB. If that doesn’t change, the momentum for phasing out traditional Medicare will grow.

[Vincardog]

1. The momentum for expanding traditional Medicare will grow. Until we have part E for EVERYONE

[annabanana]

2. Forewarned is forearmed . . Kick/Rec/Tweet/face

2014 is not that far away. There are already States that are dragging their heels about setting up the Insurance Exchanges, where otherwise uninsured individuals can get policies at a semi-reasonable price. These exchanges were ALSO called for in the the health care reform law.

We really need to be all hands on deck here.