Bruce Vladeck, Ph.D
The usual laundry lists of proposals for Medicare savings are already being circulated throughout official Washington. Most of these ideas have been around for years, and have never gotten past the talking stages because of political opposition or because they are simply bad ideas. But one especially pernicious proposal appears to have increasing traction among both politicians and policy analysts. Aug 02, 2011
Gail Wilensky
As the country has struggled to raise the debt ceiling, there have been periodic expectations that the current fiscal distress would produce the "right environment" to finally reform entitlements -- particularly Medicare. This has seemed quite astounding to me, 15 months before a presidential election year, given the presence of a divided Congress and our highly charged political environment. Aug 02, 2011
Bruce Vladeck and Gail Wilensky offer their take
Aug 02, 2011
Jonathan Cohn
Earlier in July, Jonathan Cohn followed the House Budget Committee's hearings on the heatlh law's Independent Payment Advisory Board. The experience inspired him to offer this reminder of what it is;, how it will work; and why it is essential to controlling Medicare costs. Jul 29, 2011
David Spiegel
Internet long-term care placement services are the cyberspace era’s quick fix solution for many Americans seeking non-nursing home institutional care for their aging parents or relatives. But their expertise in navigating this bewildering world of assisted living is, at best, a hit-or-miss proposition. Jul 28, 2011
Grace-Marie Turner
Some Democrats are backing a "tax" on prescription drugs that would increase Medicare drug plan premiums by as much as 40 percent. Those lawmaker wouldn’t describe their plan that way, of course, but that would be the effect of their plat to require drug companies to pay Medicaid-style rebates to Medicare. Jul 27, 2011
Howard Gleckman
Since the 1990s, nearly every developed country on the planet has reformed the way it finances long-term care for the frail elderly and adults with disabilities. Among the handful of exceptions: The U.S. and the United Kingdom. Jul 20, 2011
Harold Pollack
Health reform raises deep questions about the size and scope of government, about progressive taxation, about the individual mandate and more. It's easy to forget that cost control will be a huge challenge, no matter how these ideological matters are resolved. Finding the right combination of humanity and restraint will be particularly hard in addressing life-threatening or life-ending illness. Jul 17, 2011
John E. McDonough
While Democrats are effusive in their praise of Medicare, their silence in response to public attacks on Medicaid has been deafening. All the more important, then, is the study released this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research. It makes the job even easier. Jul 13, 2011
Michael F. Cannon
Democrats and Republicans may not be able to agree on whether to increase taxes as part of a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling. But they can at least agree on this much: the need to restrain Medicare spending. The trick is finding a way to do it without sacrificing quality and access to care. Jul 11, 2011