Interesting piece on Medicare and the current debate. Common Sense believes that the proposed voucher 'solution' is just a way of stepping away from insuring that elders and the poor actually have reasonable health care. Many many of us have relatives and friends that use these programs. For my part both my parents' lives were extended and dramatically enhanced through Medicare. I've friends and relatives that depend on Medicaid to help them deal with long term debilitating illnesses.
Controlling the cost of medical services and thus Medicare and Medicaid expenses is clearly needed. Here it's worth noting that medical cost vary widely across treatment locations, often by factors of four or more. Indeed, Common Sense has relatives that travel to Mexico for some medical services. They note that they receive treatment by doctors trained in the US using US and EU manufactured equipment at costs a small fraction of US costs! Common Sense thinks that much of the problem with Medicare and Medicaid expenses is rooted in the US medical delivery system and its unreasonable cost structure.
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