Fact Check - Sanders Medicare plan

Chris0nllyn

Well-Known Member
SANDERS: “Medicare for All will lead to a $2 TRILLION REDUCTION in national health expenditures over 10 years.” — July 30 tweet.
The study found that if hospitals and doctors were willing to accept Medicare-based payments of 40 percent less for patients who currently have private insurance, then projected U.S. health care spending would decline by about 3 percent from 2022 to 2031, or $2.05 trillion.

That’s the number Sanders is celebrating.

But the study also said if medical providers continue to be paid about the same as now, U.S. health care spending would increase by $3.25 trillion over 10 years under “Medicare for all.” It works out to about 5 percent more.

That’s far different from Sanders’ assurance that his plan “will lead” to huge spending reductions.
https://apnews.com/1aea93c2d8644c68a57485f056574697
 

Gilligan

#*! boat!
PREMO Member
he study found that if hospitals and doctors were willing to accept Medicare-based payments of 40 percent less for patients who currently have private insurance,


:lmao:

If Corona dropped their price by 40%, I'd probably buy a lot more of it. ;-)
 

Clem72

Well-Known Member
So both assumptions are flawed. Medicare does not pay as much as private insurance, because it doesn't negotiate rates (it sets them). So you either accept medicare, and get the medicare rates, or you don't take medicare.

And medicare pays on average are bout ~70-80% of private insurace (at least according to my 5 second google search).

So, Bernie's study used an artificially low number (60% instead of 80%), and the assumption by this article is artificially high (100%, instead of 80%).

Funny thing, if you use the actual 80% number you end up spending....pretty much exactly what we do now.
 

glhs837

Power with Control
"There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch" - for those who will ask.

A lot of us STILL read Heinlein.

My problem is that I still remember it well enough not to reread most of it :) One of my life goals is to build my own "Snug Harbor" complete with off the grid power and a flow through swimming hole :) The tech is almost there, once the storage and solar systems get a bit more mature. And of course the microsat internet networks.
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
My problem is that I still remember it well enough not to reread most of it :).


My takeaway from it - having not read it since high school is -

1. Throwing rocks can be a completely devastating tool of warfare and -
2. The Moon - or any other environment similar in nature - CAN be a harsh mistress.
No matter how criminal the population is - if it's EXTREMELY easy to get killed - you tend to behave.
It finds its own equilibrium.
 

Kyle

ULTRA-F###ING-MAGA!
PREMO Member
[h=1]Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
[/h]
 

SamSpade

Well-Known Member
Health care is now one of the top industries in our country.

Last I checked, it's about 19% of our economy.
You don't turn that over to the government - and SAVE money.

That said - hospitals are among the WORST offenders in driving up health care costs.
If we can find a way to drive down costs - we can afford health care premiums.
 
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