Comments on: How Would You Like to be in Medicaid? http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/ Health Care Policy and Reform Insights | NCPA Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:03:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John R. Graham http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/comment-page-1/#comment-43113 John R. Graham Tue, 09 Jun 2009 21:42:29 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3807#comment-43113 Yes: The Canadian Supreme Court decision in 2005 is usually referred to as Chaoulli/Zeliotis. There is an article about it at http://tinyurl.com/nvkwdb. As a result, private clinics have opened up in Canada, but they operate in a sort of gray market, experiencing benign neglect by a government that refuses to renounce control over health care. Dr. David Gratzer also has an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal that addresses the Canadian situation. Yes: The Canadian Supreme Court decision in 2005 is usually referred to as Chaoulli/Zeliotis. There is an article about it at http://tinyurl.com/nvkwdb. As a result, private clinics have opened up in Canada, but they operate in a sort of gray market, experiencing benign neglect by a government that refuses to renounce control over health care. Dr. David Gratzer also has an op-ed in today’s Wall Street Journal that addresses the Canadian situation.

]]> By: Rick http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/comment-page-1/#comment-43109 Rick Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:23:45 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3807#comment-43109 I believe it was the Canadian Supreme Court that ruled that the right to health care did not mean the right to wait in line. I believe it was the Canadian Supreme Court that ruled that the right to health care did not mean the right to wait in line.

]]> By: Devon Herrick http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/comment-page-1/#comment-43101 Devon Herrick Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:22:46 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3807#comment-43101 Enrolling everyone in government-run plan is more likely than people realize. If there is a "public plan option" that has advantages not available to private insurers (i.e. the power of law to set reimbursement rates 30% below what private insurers pay and able to rely on taxpayer subsidies to cover losses); and free of all the responsibilities private insurers must meet (i.e. reserve requirements, taxes, etc.), the public plan could undercut private insurers’ premiums by about 25%. The Lewin Group estimates that if the public plan is open to everyone, pays Medicare rates and has other cost advantages over private plans, 131 million people might opt for that public plan. Of these, 119 million would have dropped (or been dropped from) private coverage. Summing up all the enrollees in the public plan, Medicare, Medicaid and the proposed Medicaid/SCHIP expansion, the total enrollment in a government-run plan could approach 230 million to 240 million people. That represents 75% to 80% of the market for health insurance. This would be very similar to the single-payer concept that so many people have rejected as not a viable option the American people would accept. Enrolling everyone in government-run plan is more likely than people realize. If there is a “public plan option” that has advantages not available to private insurers (i.e. the power of law to set reimbursement rates 30% below what private insurers pay and able to rely on taxpayer subsidies to cover losses); and free of all the responsibilities private insurers must meet (i.e. reserve requirements, taxes, etc.), the public plan could undercut private insurers’ premiums by about 25%.

The Lewin Group estimates that if the public plan is open to everyone, pays Medicare rates and has other cost advantages over private plans, 131 million people might opt for that public plan. Of these, 119 million would have dropped (or been dropped from) private coverage.

Summing up all the enrollees in the public plan, Medicare, Medicaid and the proposed Medicaid/SCHIP expansion, the total enrollment in a government-run plan could approach 230 million to 240 million people. That represents 75% to 80% of the market for health insurance. This would be very similar to the single-payer concept that so many people have rejected as not a viable option the American people would accept.

]]> By: Joe S. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/comment-page-1/#comment-43098 Joe S. Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:42:41 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3807#comment-43098 If Sen Kennedy has his way we are going to all be in Medicaid. If Sen Kennedy has his way we are going to all be in Medicaid.

]]> By: Ron Greiner http://healthblog.ncpa.org/how-would-you-like-to-be-in-medicaid/comment-page-1/#comment-43097 Ron Greiner Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:33:50 +0000 http://www.john-goodman-blog.com/?p=3807#comment-43097 Why don't you list the cost of Medicaid? Is it $10,000 a year per person in New York? A 30-year-old can get HSA insurance in Lansing, MI for $57 a month from America's oldest health insurance company that has a choice of three different networks. Network providers are under contract to accept our HSA health insurance consumers. Problem solved. Why don’t you list the cost of Medicaid? Is it $10,000 a year per person in New York?

A 30-year-old can get HSA insurance in Lansing, MI for $57 a month from America’s oldest health insurance company that has a choice of three different networks.

Network providers are under contract to accept our HSA health insurance consumers.

Problem solved.

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