Private companies will follow the medicare board.

Reader comment on: Squandering Medicare's Money
in response to reader comment: Obamacare!

Submitted by Lyle (United States), May 27, 2011 11:44

Given that private premiums are also going up, private insurance companies and employers will follow the medicare board's recommendations, in order to control costs. If Medicare decides to not cover something the private world will follow very shortly.

I agree that the issue of the value to society of screenings (viewing the issue from an economic point of view only) is unclear. However if you touch the issue the anecdotal folks will bring up stories about the few who were saved, and say that proves it.

One thing Medicare should do that private plans do now is require pre-approval for elective procedures, which of course is a form of rationing. Secondly consider offshoring some elective procedures, in fact I suspect that once the Castros leave the scene, Cuba will become an important medical tourism area as the US sanctions are dropped.

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