.High Medicare costs in Miami must end, Senate health leader says
Similar stories:•Key senator: Healthcare cost disparities must end
Key senator: Healthcare cost disparities must endSen. Tom Harkin, leader of the powerful Senate Health Committee, said Friday that vast differences in Medicare costs -- as exist between the high-cost Miami and lower-cost areas -- must be ended to make for sensible healthcare reform.
``These huge disparities can't continue,'' the Iowa Democrat said in a teleconference sponsored by the consumer group Families USA.
Dartmouth studies have shown that the average Miami senior costs almost two-and-a-half times what a senior in Minneapolis does.
•Senator: Disparities in Medicare costs must end
Senator: Disparities in Medicare costs must endSen. Tom Harkin, leader of the powerful Senate Health Committee, said Friday that vast differences in Medicare costs -- as those that exist between the high-cost Miami and lower-cost areas -- must be ended to make for sensible healthcare reform.
``These huge disparities can't continue,'' said the Iowa Democrat in a teleconference sponsored by the consumer group Families USA.
Dartmouth studies have shown that the average Miami senior costs almost two-and-a-half times a senior in Minneapolis, due at least partly to more specialist visits and more intense care in the last six months of life.
•Reid includes public option in latest health care bill
Reid includes public option in latest health care billWASHINGTON — The Senate will consider whether the government should run and fund a health care plan to compete with private insurance, but states could choose not to participate in the so-called "public option."
However, the compromise plan announced Monday by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., may not win enough votes to break Congress' deadlock over how to overhaul the nation's health care system. Reid unveiled his compromise after nearly two weeks of closed-door negotiations with top White House officials and key senators.
His bid to give states the power to opt out of the government plan was aimed at winning support from up to 12 moderate Senate Democrats and one Republican, Maine's Olympia Snowe, who've expressed reservations about a more sweeping, nationwide "public option."
•The next battle: cutting Medicare Advantage
The next battle: cutting Medicare AdvantageWith the wildfire over so-called ``death panels'' still smoldering, President Barack Obama faces what could become another emotion-charged obstacle to his vision of overhauling health care -- his plan to trim the federal subsidy for a program called ``Medicare Advantage.''
The program pays insurance companies a hefty premium above traditional Medicare reimbursements for enrolling senior citizens in managed care. But whether the higher payments are worth the cost is a matter of dispute.
Obama and many congressional Democrats see Advantage as a wasteful bonanza averaging about $17 billion a year for the companies, which critics say provide few benefits beyond regular Medicare.
•Obama's savings won't pay for health plan, experts say
Obama's savings won't pay for health plan, experts sayDespite President Barack Obama's insistence that his $900 billion healthcare plan won't increase already-huge federal budget deficits, experts say that it would -- unless he raised more taxes than he's suggesting he would.
Obama told a joint session of Congress Wednesday night that ``reducing the waste and inefficiency in Medicare and Medicaid will pay for most of this plan.''
However, he offered few details for how those savings might be achieved, and he didn't mention the key plan -- backed by Democrats in the House of Representatives -- to raise revenue by imposing higher income taxes on the wealthy.
BY JOHN DORSCHNER
jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com
Sen. Tom Harkin, leader of the powerful Senate Health Committee, said Friday that vast differences in Medicare costs -- as exist between the high-cost Miami and lower-cost areas -- must be ended to make for sensible healthcare reform.
``These huge disparities can't continue,'' the Iowa Democrat said in a teleconference sponsored by the consumer group Families USA.
Dartmouth studies have shown that the average Miami senior costs almost 2 ½-half times what a senior in Minneapolis does, due at least partly to more specialist visits, more expensive diagnostic tests and and more intensive care in the last six months of life.
Because Medicare numbers are public, healthcare experts often use them as a proxy for overall healthcare costs.
Harkin said a proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, would ``change the parameters of how reimbursement rates are made.'' He noted that Iowa has always ranked near the top in quality of care measures while ranking 48th of 50 in Medicare costs.
Much of the hard work for changing costs could come in a new Medicare Commission, where experts would figure out what care is most productive and how to reshape payment plans. Congress would still get a say, but only after the commission had made its determinations.
Harkin likened a Medicare board to Congress setting up a Base-Closing Commission ``because we could never vote to close a base.''
At present, Congress almost always rejects any reductions in Medicare spending because of intense pressures from lobbying groups for doctors, hospitals and drug companies.
Families USA director Ron Pollack added that, however Medicare payments are changed, a provision in the main Senate legislation -- the Baucus bill -- has a provision guaranteeing seniors that any changes would not increase their out-of-pocket expenses.
Harkin, who took over leadership of the Health Committee after the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, was also emphatic on another point: Whatever shape reform takes in the House and Senate, ``it will have a public option.''
House Democrats are overwhelmingly in support of a new government insurance, and Harkin said Friday that 52 Democratic senators are solidly for a public option, with only five Democrats strongly opposed.
``Should the 52 give in to the five, or should the five come on board?'' Harkin asked rhetorically.
A public plan could take several forms, Harkin said:
• A nationwide insurance, which would be self-funded so that it would break even.
• A state-option plan, so that some states could vote to opt out and instead form nonprofit co-ops to offer insurance to individuals and small business that couldn't get coverage elsewhere.
• A public plan that would come into existence only if private insurance did not cover a targeted amount of the uninsured. In that case, a government insurance would be ``triggered'' into existence at a pre-determined date in that case
High Medicare costs in Miami it's the south after all
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