A Quick Look at Opposing Viewpoints Regarding National
Funding of Healthcare

In this, PlainViews’s first issue, let’s take a quick look at the opposing viewpoints surrounding healthcare funding.

Briefly, the healthcare system in the United States currently faces a great challenge.

The lines have been drawn, with those who want to privatize Social Security and Medicare lined up on one side against those who want it to remain a federally funded program. The outcome of this battle will likely have lasting consequences.

For the past several years white papers supporting a national privatization of nearly all federally funded programs — particularly Social Security and Medicare — have been available in various venues around Washington, D.C. A sampling of such documents can be found via the web site of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

MedPAC is an independent federal body established by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (P.L. 105-33) to advise the U.S. Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program. The Commission's statutory mandate is quite broad: In addition to advising the Congress on payments to health plans participating in the Medicare+ Choice program and providers in Medicare's traditional fee-for-service program, MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare.

The minutes of their meetings and copies of their reports to Congress are available on the web at www.medpac.gov.

For an opposing perspective, I draw your attention to the report published by The Century Foundation entitled, “Medicare Reform: The Basics.” This report is available at the web site www.medicarewatch.org.

Remember, a good advocate is an informed advocate!

Do you have thoughts about professional practice you’d like to share with your colleagues? Send an e-mail of any length to info@PlainViews.org.