Dear President Obama: A Modest Medicare Proposal

Dear President Obama,

I understand you're thinking of dumping your "public option" because of all the demagoguery by Sarah Palin and Dick Armey and Newt Gingrich and their crowd on right-wing radio and Fox. Fine. Good idea, in fact.

Instead, let's make it simple. Please let us buy into Medicare.

It would be so easy. You don't have to reinvent the wheel with this so-called "public option" that's a whole new program from the ground up. Medicare already exists. It works. Some people will like it, others won't -- just like the Post Office versus FedEx analogy you're so comfortable with.

Just pass a simple bill -- it could probably be just a few lines, like when Medicare was expanded to include disabled people -- that says that any American citizen can buy into the program at a rate to be set by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which reflects the actual cost for us to buy into it.

So it's revenue neutral!

To make it available to people of low income, raise the rates slightly for all currently non-eligible people (like me -- under 65) to cover the cost of below-200%-of-poverty people. Revenue neutral again.

Most of us will do damn near anything to get out from under the thumbs of the multi-millionaire CEOs who are running our current insurance programs. Sign me up!

This lets you blow up all the rumors about death panels and grandma and everything else: everybody knows what Medicare is. Those who scorn it can go with Blue Cross. Those who like it can buy into it. Simplicity itself.

Of course, we'd like a few fixes, like letting Medicare negotiate drug prices and filling some of the holes Republicans and AARP and the big insurance lobbyists have drilled into Medicare so people have to buy "supplemental" insurance, but that can wait for the second round. Let's get this done first.

Simple stuff. Medicare for anybody who wants it. Private health insurance for those who don't. Easy message. Even Max Baucus and Chuck Grassley can understand it. Sarah Palin can buy into it, or ignore it. No death panels, no granny plugs, nothing. Just a few sentences.

Replace the "you must be disabled or 65" with "here's what it'll cost if you want to buy in, and here's the sliding scale of subsidies we'll give you if you're poor, paid for by everybody else who's buying in." (You could roll back the Reagan tax cuts and make it all free, but that's another rant.)

We elected you because we expected you to have the courage of your convictions. Here's how. Not the "single payer Medicare for all" that many of us would prefer, but a simple, "Medicare for anybody who wants to buy in."

Respectfully,

Thom Hartmann

Thom Hartmann can be heard daily on his radio show 12pm-3pm ET. Visit www.thomhartmann.com to stream live or find a station near you.

Comments

[NWNHNM]

Thank you Thom. I've been saying this for months. You just add OB/GYN and pediatric care to the list of what's covered by Medicare. Done and done.

Those who want their private insurance can get it. God bless them!

[SgtLucifer]

Love your show, Thom. We look forward to your time in Chicago this evening.

[porsche996]

I've already bought into Medicare with 32 years of contributions.

[Jingo]

But.. but with the high costs of caring for the elderly and disabled, Medicare is already going bankrupt. What's gonna happen when we lump in millions of healthy people with... Ohhhhh

[Senzasord]

Infinitely more rational than the Republican concept of health care which features a jar with a hole in its lid on the counter of the local convenience store or gas station.

[lgillooly]

talk radio, Fox and the other front men for the health care industry will do and say anything to never let this happen. How did we give such power to ruin any progress in America to a handful of Megacorporations that control the information and message. Why are there no rules about truth and facts on our airwaves?

[JimsObie]

Tom you are a wise man indeed. I also want anyone who is thinking this New Health Care Plan is a good one to visit a VA Hospital. Both Democrats and Republicans for many, many years have had the burearacracy to help with that, including Mr. Obama while in office. Take a tour, sit for awhie, ask questions, find out just how that health care is. Then you will see exactly what you are getting with this new reform. Then get a copy of the 1000 + pages and read, read, read until you truly understand what is being said for yourself. If you can read a novel, or paperwork for your job then you can read this. If you have to read it several time to understand DO IT. This your life in the hands of the Goverment. Visit a VA Hospital today

[Roverredux]

We have several men here at work who after they retired, went to live at a VA hospital. I just got off the phone with one of them five minutes ago. They love it. Perhaps they are better in my state?

[chazzg]

Not only do I like this idea. I'll take it a step further. Do not pass any other improvements to Health Care - just this.

Allow everyone the choice to pick Medicare or Private Insurance. Let those who want to keep Private Insurance the way it is - do so. Don't mandate anyone to have insurance. Let the Insurance companies continue to deny or drop people from their plan. Let them continue to have a cap on the total insurance they will pay.

All it will do is drive more people to Medicare or force the Insurance Companies to become competitive.

[TekBoss]

As usual Thom, an excellent idea.

"Medicare for anybody who wants to buy in."

[expired]

People, we have to tell the Obama administration that it is time to stop playing the patsy to the cons and stand up and lead this country into a new healthcare reform. President Obama, you have done more than enough to reach across the isle. Enough with the partisanship crap. It is not working. No matter what you do or say, the cons will yell louder. Grow a pair already. We need a strong public health care option sans the concessions for the corporate welfare hounds. Bring it home, President Obama. Bring it home.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

[chitown8]

This would be find as long as we can allow seniors to opt out if they wanted. They complaint about socialism so much make them pay for their own health-care.

[quietfortoolong2]

Yep, very good idea. Easily defended in its simplicity, and lets see just who would try to argue against that.

[ouroborous]

Absolutely brilliant -- both in its simplicity and effectiveness.

The devil is in the details, but I'd much rather we pass a one- or two-page proposal to allow people to opt-in to an already-successful public plan, than pass the thousand-page boondoggle that's currently floating around the halls of Congress masquerading as "reform."

If only our President and Congress had the political courage to do something like this...

[Roverredux]

My nephew was just diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma. He and his dad are on Badgercare which is Wisconsin's version of Medicaid.

This is the program I want instead of the private insurance I have that leaves me with huge copays. My last hospitalization (one night) cost $16k with me paying $2,500 of it out of pocket.

On Badgercare, my brother and his son pay less than $100 per month. They go to the best hospitals, can see any doc they want and pay $6 per prescription.

My brother qualifies for Badgercare because after getting laid off years ago from aircraft industry, he simply retired. His insurance didn't follow him (after 23 years of service!) so he and my 17 year old nephew are at a low enough income level to qualify for Medicaid.

I agree Thom, why reinvent the wheel? Let those of us who have crappy insurance buy into Medicare/Medicaid program. I already pay for it in my payroll check, let me increase my contribution and get the benefit too.

[MrBadger]

Long time Portland fan! A modest proposal indeed! Simplicity itself. Maybe too simple to satisfy the cat herders in congress? :-D