FIX MEDICARE FIRST

"Since 1970, spending on Medicare and Medicaid has risen eightfold versus defense spending and has tripled versus federal spending as a whole. It’s clear what’s driving the deficit bus."

"President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers issued a report earlier this month estimating that as much as 30 percent of Medicare spending is unnecessary for improving health outcomes. Given such opportunities for easy savings within government, and Medicare's weighty influence in the broader system (many private insurers set payments by adding a percentage to Medicare's rates), it would make sense to reform Medicare first, see what works and what doesn't, and then apply the lessons of that process later to any system-wide fix."

Unfortunately, my mother and I become the “experimentees.” Given my current experience with Medicare, that’s not an experience to which I look forward. Especially in a political environment unwilling to consider options beyond a "one-size-fits-all" single-payer system.