The Hard Decade Ahead for Hospitals

[Yppej]

Tuition inflation is a contributing factor to medical inflation. So is greed, such as pharmaceutical companies jacking up prescription drug prices by thousands of percentages because our current system is not competitive, but dominated by special interests, a few large insurance companies, and with the end user often having no idea what care really costs. It's a broken system that keeps getting worse and given the outsize role of special interest money in our political system it is not going to get better. We have to scrap it, start over, and Keep It Simple Stupid. Medicare for all sort of does that (though you still have all the Medicare letters of the alphabet handled by private insurers). A government catastrophic insurance you go on once you hit say $1 million in lifetime spending for your care would be another way to go. A third would be Hotel California public option - you can go on the public plan but you have to stay on it forever, no cycling off when you are healthy and on when you are sick. You can check out (die) but you can never leave the plan.

[Rogar]

Medicare is most likely here to stay and the problems will only get bigger as the boomers file into the system. One thing that seems in line with the discussion is that Medicare compensation is not proving professionals with what they consider compensation to allow for a "reasonable" profit. I have know people who transition from private insurance to Medicare and find their doctor(s) don't take Medicare patients, and have trouble finding a good doctor who does. And then the example of private or uninsured people being billing outrageous amounts to compensate for Medicare shortcomings. Without an entirely new system, the only way I see to fix problems is taxation and regulation to help the Medicare system. An exchange of one freedom for another.

[Ultralight]

Medicare is most likely here to stay and the problems will only get bigger as the boomers file into the system.

The answer to these problems is more freedom! Senior citizens are oppressed by Medicare and must be liberated. I suggest abolishing Medicare, or at least privatizing it. I am sure the vast majority of seniors -- including the boomers -- would agree!

[LDAHL]

You should’ve added something about putting old people on ice floes. That would really sell it.

I’m not a strict libertarian. I think government should have some role in helping the helpless. But we seem to keep defining helplessness down and inventing new classes of victim only a powerful centralized government can save. I think there is a price to be paid for that in the long term.

[Rogar]

The answer to these problems is more freedom! Senior citizens are oppressed by Medicare and must be liberated. I suggest abolishing Medicare, or at least privatizing it. I am sure the vast majority of seniors -- including the boomers -- would agree!

Ha, ha. Might work in a society where there is no retirement and you work 'til you can't. But wait...that's the millennials.

[ApatheticNoMore]

Ha, ha. Might work in a society where there is no retirement and you work 'til you can't. But wait...that's the millennials.

no it would NEVER work in such a society. If anyone imagines employers want to bring on 65+ year olds (when they would already rather not) and offer them full benefits including medical and pay that cost. No that would never happen.

Meanwhile as it is, how many millenials, still youngish are forced to work jobs and gigs without benefits, and how many 50+ can hardly get hired at a job with benefits to save their life (because employers do know the benefit costs are more for the older crowd and they aren't even covering 65+).

[ApatheticNoMore]

The answer to these problems is more freedom! Senior citizens are oppressed by Medicare and must be liberated. I suggest abolishing Medicare

the financials of the entire existing system would not hold together if this was done.

[Ultralight]

no it would NEVER work in such a society. If anyone imagines employers want to bring on 65+ year olds (when they would already rather not) and offer them full benefits including medical and pay that cost. No that would never happen.

Meanwhile as it is, how many millenials, still youngish are forced to work jobs and gigs without benefits, and how many 50+ can hardly get hired at a job with benefits to save their life (because employers do know the benefit costs are more for the older crowd and they aren't even covering 65+).

Someday, when you decide to work hard and smart you will be very wealthyand own your own businesses. And then you will appreciate the freedom you have to not hire old people that cost so much!

Besides, these old people should innovate -- start their own businesses! Stop sticking your hands out to Nanny G. and expecting everyone to support your lazy bums!

[Ultralight]

the financials of the entire existing system would not hold together if this was done.

That is the whole point!

[gimmethesimplelife]

I predict medical tourism will increase. I know of a wonderful hospital in Mexicali to which I went in 2012 for an ultrasound of my gallbladder. Walking in off the street what did I pay with no appointment arranged? Ready? $57.50 USD. Can an American hospital compete with this price point if indeed Trump takes the machete to Medicare? Thailand and Malaysia and Chile are great medical tourism places, and India in particular is good for heart surgery with US trained doctors but bargain basement and very same and humane costs. I'm thinking airline CEO's will be cheering this trend. Rob