Insurance

Juliette Cubanski, PhD, Associate Director, Program on Medicare Policy, Kaiser Family Foundation, believes that the Medicare program overall has as much at stake in the 2012 election. Specifically, Dr. Cubanski says increasing private plan participation in Medicare and whether Medicare should move towards privatization will be some of the greatest challenges moving forward.

The abuse of government programs and misappropriation of limited healthcare resources contribute significantly to, and further complicate, the growing burden of healthcare expenditures and utilization in the United States. Government bodies have demonstrated a paradigm shift, embracing collaborations and implementing evolved strategies, to more effectively combat Medicare fraud.

Farzad Mostashari, MD, ScM, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, US Department of Health and Human Services, says that meaningful use sets a foundation for new models to deliver care to an entire population.

As the search continues for effective cost-containment strategies in a landscape of substantial healthcare expenditures, policy authorities are looking at Medicare reform and the Part D model for opportunities and direction. In this discussion, 2 policy experts share their insights on the progress, trends, and possibilities of Medicare Part D.

Although delivery systems are seemingly designed with beneficial intentions and streamlined utilization, a number of current practices and policies have been the subject of criticism and controversy. Two leaders in health policy shared their insights regarding these concerns and discussed the necessary steps to further improve an antiquated delivery system during changing times.

Karen Ignagni, President and Chief Executive Officer, AHIP, feels Medicare is right to take on the challenge of hospital readmissions. Ms. Ignagni also discusses how the Medicare Advantage plans have done a better job with traditional fee-for-services programs and tackling high hospital readmission rates.

The hotly debated proposition of premium support comes during a time of healthcare improvements through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare reform, which aim to combat the rising costs and substantial budget deficits resulting from an aging population and increased healthcare utilization.

Earlier this week, Kaiser Health News released an analysis of Medicare data which showed that approximately 2200 hospitals will face penalties this October for having too many patients readmitted for care within 30 days of discharge.

Recognizing shared features of 2 Medicare payment reform strategies, premium support and global payment, may help us focus on, and resolve, the differences.

The Medicare program as we know it is at a crossroad. But, just how important is it to voters? The Kaiser Family Foundation shed some light on that question Thursday when it released a report stating that 73% of respondents polled in the days around the announcement of Paul Ryan as the running mate of presumptive Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney described Medicare as "very important" or "extremely important" to their votes.

Despite increased enrollment, the role of Medicare managed care in explaining declines in preventable hospitalization rates diminished over time.