ARTICLE
Jack Lewin, MD, chairman of the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), an a organization that brings together AARP, the labor unions, the big business coalitions, the big national trust funds, all the people who pay for healthcare, and some professional associations as well. They try to figure out how to make healthcare sustainable and affordable in a time when the costs are still rising at an alarming rate. Dr. Lewin talked about three alternatives to our current healthcare system. First of all, these are wacky times in politics in general and increasingly in health policy. Part of the reason as the NCHC would look at it as we have an unsustainable healthcare system. The current politics in our country are very interesting. Democrats agree that we need immediately to have universal access — every American needs to be covered -- and we need to have a much more sustainable, efficient system to get that done. But there are three camps among the Democrats. This is where most of the action is going to be and where your feedback and input will be important. The first camp is Speaker Pelosi and most of the “moderates.” Their plan is really kind of universal access, but is going to get there by building on the Affordable Care Act. They might add, perhaps, eligibility for Medicare at age 50 or a public program in Medicaid to bring more people into that program. But would build on the current model and gradually get to universal access. The second camp is Bernie Sanders and a “Medicare for All” approach. There are 100 members of Congress that have endorsed such a bill. But her bill really is something like a Canada or a U.K. system for America built on Medicare. That’s going to be a little bit difficult given that 158 million Americans are currently insured through their employer and probably don’t want to give that up for somewhat of an unknown, uncertain kind of thing. The Sanders version of this and the “ edicare for All" is this is viable in the House. It’s not going to pass the Senate, but it could get through the House, but I’m not even sure that will happen. But it’s going to be on the table for a while. The third plan ... and there's more than three. But the third major plan is a new bill that was submitted by Connecticut Congressman Rosa DeLauro and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Czajkowski. They're proposing "Medicare for America," not to be confused with "Medicare for All." Now interestingly, Beto O'Rourke -- a new entrance to the Democratic primary set of contenders -- has announced that he is for "Medicare for America." This plan is not the ACA with tweaks. It's not "Medicare for All." It's in the middle and it's something you should start to know more about because it's going to be discussed and a bill has actually been proposed and is being submitted to Congress. It's basically universal access, very comprehensive, and intended to be affordable. What it does is that while “Medicare for All” is all government, “Medicare for America” preserves the employer-based system so the 158 million people that get their healthcare through their insurance could do that if they want or the employer could opt to have their employees join a “Medicare for All" plan. If they want to shift their employees they’ll have to contribute a certain amount to make that happen. But the “Medicare for All” plan would begin with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program], the individual insurance market -- those people who don't go through their employer and they're purchasing it themselves, disabled people that are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, and also all the uninsured. It combines Medicare and Medicaid. It's a new program with all these things added to it. It's more comprehensive than Medicare. It’s got drug, dental, and vision in the plan that's out there. How do we pay for this thing? Well, there’s going to be an additional 5% tax on both income and capital gains above $500,000 year. But the states are also going to make up significant funding. They would have to chip in as well. The bottom line is that our system is unsustainable. We've got to do something. We have to come to that awakening. There are a lot of interesting ideas on the table, but change is very tough and yet it’s absolutely necessary in this circumstance. It’s going to be a very interesting two years. Source: https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/healthpolicy/79356
Jack Lewin, MD, chairman of the National Coalition on Health Care (NCHC), an a organization that brings together AARP, the labor unions, the big business coalitions, the big national trust funds, all the people who pay for healthcare, and some professional associations as well. They try to figure out how to make healthcare sustainable and affordable in a time when the costs are still rising at an alarming rate. Dr. Lewin talked about three alternatives to our current healthcare system. First of all, these are wacky times in politics in general and increasingly in health policy. Part of the reason as the NCHC would look at it as we have an unsustainable healthcare system.
The current politics in our country are very interesting. Democrats agree that we need immediately to have universal access — every American needs to be covered -- and we need to have a much more sustainable, efficient system to get that done. But there are three camps among the Democrats. This is where most of the action is going to be and where your feedback and input will be important.
The first camp is Speaker Pelosi and most of the “moderates.” Their plan is really kind of universal access, but is going to get there by building on the Affordable Care Act. They might add, perhaps, eligibility for Medicare at age 50 or a public program in Medicaid to bring more people into that program. But would build on the current model and gradually get to universal access.
The second camp is Bernie Sanders and a “Medicare for All” approach. There are 100 members of Congress that have endorsed such a bill. But her bill really is something like a Canada or a U.K. system for America built on Medicare. That’s going to be a little bit difficult given that 158 million Americans are currently insured through their employer and probably don’t want to give that up for somewhat of an unknown, uncertain kind of thing. The Sanders version of this and the “ edicare for All" is this is viable in the House. It’s not going to pass the Senate, but it could get through the House, but I’m not even sure that will happen. But it’s going to be on the table for a while.
The third plan ... and there's more than three. But the third major plan is a new bill that was submitted by Connecticut Congressman Rosa DeLauro and Illinois Congresswoman Jan Czajkowski. They're proposing "Medicare for America," not to be confused with "Medicare for All." Now interestingly, Beto O'Rourke -- a new entrance to the Democratic primary set of contenders -- has announced that he is for "Medicare for America." This plan is not the ACA with tweaks. It's not "Medicare for All." It's in the middle and it's something you should start to know more about because it's going to be discussed and a bill has actually been proposed and is being submitted to Congress.
It's basically universal access, very comprehensive, and intended to be affordable. What it does is that while “Medicare for All” is all government, “Medicare for America” preserves the employer-based system so the 158 million people that get their healthcare through their insurance could do that if they want or the employer could opt to have their employees join a “Medicare for All" plan. If they want to shift their employees they’ll have to contribute a certain amount to make that happen.
But the “Medicare for All” plan would begin with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP [Children's Health Insurance Program], the individual insurance market -- those people who don't go through their employer and they're purchasing it themselves, disabled people that are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid, and also all the uninsured. It combines Medicare and Medicaid. It's a new program with all these things added to it. It's more comprehensive than Medicare. It’s got drug, dental, and vision in the plan that's out there. How do we pay for this thing? Well, there’s going to be an additional 5% tax on both income and capital gains above $500,000 year. But the states are also going to make up significant funding. They would have to chip in as well.
The bottom line is that our system is unsustainable. We've got to do something. We have to come to that awakening. There are a lot of interesting ideas on the table, but change is very tough and yet it’s absolutely necessary in this circumstance.