Why Insurers Are Wary Of Raising The Medicare Age

[Bill USA]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/12/insurers-raising-medicare-age.php?ref=fpa
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The possibility that Democratic and Republican leaders will agree to slowly increase the Medicare eligibility age to 67 is creating strange bedfellows: liberals — both in and out of Congress — and the health insurance industry.

A well-placed industry source tells TPM insurers haven’t taken a public position but are skeptical of the idea, particularly those insurers that don’t cover elderly patients via Medicare Advantage, supplemental Medigap coverage or prescription drug coverage.

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The reason: hiking the Medicare eligibility age would throw seniors aged 65 and 66 off Medicare and into the private market, forcing insurers, who will soon be required to cover all consumers regardless of health status, to care for a sicker, more expensive crop of patients.

“The risk pool issue is important,” the insurance industry source said. “f you add more older and sicker people to the pool, that’s definitely going to have any impact on premiums.”
(more)

[rurallib]

1. Yup

and lowering the age would be good for both.
But Republicans can't add and subtract.

[Warren Stupidity]

2. No shit.

It is such a stupid pennywise pound-foolish act.

[CTyankee]

5. Of course, but in the pursuit of their ideology that "the government can' t do anything right"

they will do anything, even the stupid thing.

[Hoyt]

3. I have no problem screwing the health insurance industry -- but not this way.

[bemildred]

4. Medicare was always about letting Insurance Cos. cherry pick the risk pool.

Hence the huge profits.