http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/29/AR2006112900128.html
My friends at the Washington Post recently published an article on how Medicare costs were below projected rates this year. Really? As the baby-boomers age – as life expectancy in the United States increases annually – as elderly pinch pennies in order to have enough to pay for food, health care and other basic needs – Medicare costs are down? I am amazed! Some would say its because of the recently revamping…. Well, maybe that is true. Maybe so many people were too confused to sign up for benefits. Maybe its too hard for most qualified americans to understand the process… maybe its because Medicare is taking back so much from successful plaintiff lawsuits againsts hospitals, doctors, nursing homes etc… Or maybe just maybe, enrollment is down. “Republicans would have you believe that the drug and insurance companies have sacrificed profits in the name of competition, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif. “In fact, the dirty little secret is that costs are lower because of low enrollment and a slowdown in drug spending.”
Well, lets say for just one minute, that Congressmen Stark is wrong – lets say Americans are getting healthier and not needing as much medical care… I know how we can even keep costs LOWER… YUP, lower:
1. more prevantive healthcare – about checkups for the elderly – not just visits when they are ill
2. how about regulations on drugs – and no, I don’t mean regulations on importing from Canada – like, how about we tell the drug companies they don’t need to make 10 billion every year for their shareholders.
3. we should also encourage younger generations to start saving for future healthcare, as they should for retirement…
My thoughts.