Former Medicare Chief Berwick Backs Clinton's 'Medicare For More'

[think]

Dr. Donald Berwick answers some key questions at the link:

Former Medicare Chief Berwick Backs Clinton's 'Medicare For More'

July 29, 2016 - By Carey Goldberg

It's an unwelcome rite of middle-age passage: Unsolicited, you get a membership card from the AARP, the graying-set juggernaut formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons. "No! I can't really be 50!" you exclaim as you dump the card into the trash. "And anyway, how did they know?"

Then another one comes in the mail. And another. ("And how did they know I threw it out?&quot Until finally you're ready to own it — the being-50 thing, whether you join AARP or not.

Here's a thought: Would we reach that acceptance faster if we also got the option to join Medicare, the federal health insurance that usually starts at 65, in our 50s?

Because that's among Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's central health care proposals: that Americans 55 and over be eligible to buy in to Medicare. She didn't mention it in her acceptance speech Thursday night, but she's been publicly floating it since May, and The New York Times called it a "step to the left" (in the Bernie Sanders direction) on health care. NPR fact-checks the idea here and The Atlantic analyzes whether it might be a good deal for consumers here....

Read more:
http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2016/07/29/clinton-berwick-medicare-for-more

[Wounded Bear]

1. It's a great idea....

I was one of those unemployed 50+ workers. One reason it is difficult to find work at that age is the effect it has for a company to hire those of advanced age. It raises their insurance rates. I think we need to break the link between employment and health insurance, but that seems impossible so far. We've dented the connection, but it's still there.

Anyway, this would help many people who are unable to get coverage/care, even in the exchanges. The reason Medicare was enacted in the first place was because private insurers would not cover the elderly due to the cost/risk. It's still the same thing. 50+ people trying to find individual policies need to be rather affluent to afford what is out there.

I wish that had been there when I needed it. I managed to get connected with the VA, and I like it. In my area they do pretty well, as well as any private care I've had, except maybe for one stretch in the early 90's when I was with Kaiser for a while.

This should happen, and would be a good step on the path to "Medicare for all."

[SickOfTheOnePct]

2. So long as it remains optional

I'm all for it.