Hospitals say Medicare eligibility age should go up to 67 years old.

[Better Believe It]

Medicare eligibility age should go up, hospitals say
By SUSAN JAFFE
September 8, 2011

The American Hospital Association has a strategy for heading off any more Medicare payment cuts: Tell Congress to get the money from Medicare beneficiaries instead.

The association is urging its nearly 5,000 members to lobby Congress to raise the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67, in addition to other money-saving alternatives, according to spokeswoman Marie Watteau.

That’s one of the ideas that could get a new look as the deficit committee tries to find ways to reduce Medicare spending. If it can’t find at least $1.2 trillion in savings, hospitals and other health care providers will get hit with automatic cuts in Medicare payments.

To lessen the impact, AHA favors phasing in the change, said Watteau. Eventually, seniors who aren’t eligible for Medicare could buy their own health insurance through state insurance exchanges starting in 2014, with subsidies for those with low incomes, she noted.

Read the full article at:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/63020.html?wpisrc=nl_wonk

[xchrom]

1. Recommend

[RKP5637]

2. Then eventually they will want it moved to 70, on and on, and eventually, all are dead. n/t

[Broderick]

3. Doctors and hospitals hate Medicare

The rules, the paperwork, etc. It's a friggin farce the way it is managed and handled I guess. Try to find a doctor if you are on medicare if you move to Virginia. So many refuse to take new medicare patients and if you find one, the wait time is 2 to 3 months to be seen for the first time.

[Gormy Cuss]

4. Cutting off eligibility at 80 would save a lot more money.

:sarcasm:

[sarcasmo]

5. Of course they do because then it's more out of pocket costs for 65 and 66 year olds.

[raccoon]

6. Great! How many people are already in their 50's and early 60's and don't

have medical insurance?

How many will be able to afford individual policies? If the insurance company will insure them at all.

[RKP5637]

7. This country is not about people, only money, absolutely only money. Once I got that through my

head it's clear why this country and its citizens are so F'ed for the future. We will be the knuckle draggers of the 21st century. The writing is and has been all over the wall.

[EC]

8. Question

Why would they lose money if payouts were cut? Doesn't the supplementary insurance pay what Medicare doesn't? They get their money one way or another don't they?