Jane Gross, in her piece for the October 15th New York Times, stated eloquently what we at Archimedes/We Can Do Better have been saying for almost six years – Medicare in its current structure needs more than “saving” – it needs transformation just like the rest of our health system.
Ms. Gross starts her article by saying:
HERE is the dirty little secret of health care in America for the elderly, the one group we all assume has universal coverage thanks to the 1965 Medicare law: what Medicare paid for then is no longer what recipients need or want today.
No one then envisioned the stunning advances in medicine that now keep people alive into advanced old age, often with unintended and unwelcome consequences. Indeed, scientific reports have showed the dangers, not merely the pointlessness and expense, of much of the care Medicare is providing.
It may not be what everyone wants to hear, but it is important to acknowledge if we really want to have a world class system that cares for the people who use it. I can even imagine that we can lower costs in Medicare by expanding choices to include the things that are most effective, and want to use, rather than falling into a discussion about limiting choice and rationing care.
You can read the whole article here.
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