To be honest, the discussion about the national debt and the debt ceiling is over my head. As citizens we have an obligation to be as well-informed as possible, yet when the best experts on the topic are miles apart in their analyses and recommendations, what are we to do? I have tried to read all sides of the discussion and post links to the articles and ideas that seem most accurate or the wisest to me, but who knows?
Today I simply want to focus on one aspect of this conversation, the impact on healthcare. Here again I can claim no particular expertise, even though I have worked in healthcare all of my life. By this I mean that I have no training or experience in healthcare finance and administration. Still, my "expertise" in this arena is greater than for, say, banking or mortgages or the stock market.
This morning Kaiser Health News (KHN) reported hints of another debt deal this weekend that includes possible Medicare cuts. From the reports quoted, it is hard to say what kinds of cuts are included, but it is no secret that many Republicans have called for deep cuts in Medicare. Yesterday KHN surveyed the media coverage of possible fallout for healthcare of a default. For example, from CNN Money
"[Some physician groups] have started to warn their members that a possible default means their Medicare paychecks may not get mailed. ... In 2010, the federal government paid out $515.8 billion in total Medicare benefits to health care providers, including doctors, hospitals, nursing facilities, home health care centers and pharmacies. ... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services declined to say whether Medicare payments to health care providers would be affected if a default occurs" (Kavilanz, 7/29).
Yesterday was the 46th anniversary of Medicare. On the website Physicians for a National Healthcare Program (PNHP) Dr. Margaret Flowers argues that the Republican and Democratic plans for Medicare and Medicaid are misguided and that the push for privatization will accelerate costs and deaths. This article was picked up by the Institute for Public Accuracy (IPA) and then CommonDreams.org under the title "Medicare is the Answer, Not the Problem." A few days earlier, Robert Reich (whose opinions I have come to respect greatly) made the same arguments on KevinMD.
Now I acknowledge that this topic is much broader and much more complicated than can be covered in a posting here. I also admit that many aspects of Medicare need overhaul. Therefore it is not my intention here to "make the case".
My intention is simply to give a small bit of the rationale for why I have (today) decided to join Physicians for a National Healthcare Program (PNHP).
Now I acknowledge that this topic is much broader and much more complicated than can be covered in a posting here. I also admit that many aspects of Medicare need overhaul. Therefore it is not my intention here to "make the case".
My intention is simply to give a small bit of the rationale for why I have (today) decided to join Physicians for a National Healthcare Program (PNHP).
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