May 2, 2019 | Updates

‘…Messy. Very Messy…’: What They’re Saying About Medicare For All

As the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) warns that Medicare for all “could adversely affect access to and quality of care,” here are some of the headlines and news stories driving the discussion about proposals to repeal the foundations of American health care in order to start from scratch with a one-size-fits-all system run by Washington:

The Washington Post:Medicare-for-all plans get a reality check”

The analysis, issued Wednesday by the Congressional Budget Office, offers a reality check on the campaign slogans that have characterized a growing crop of Democratic presidential aspirants who champion the idea of Medicare-for-all … Among the negatives: higher government spending and taxes — and potentially longer waits for some treatments and technologies … The analysis arrives as several of the most liberal 2020 candidates support single-payer arrangements — often without offering many details.

USA Today: “’Medicare for All’ system could be complicated, potentially disruptive, say budget analysts”

As “Medicare for All” increasingly becomes a battle cry for Democrats on Capitol Hill and those running for president, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office weighed in Wednesday on how difficult it could be to move to a single government health care system.  “The transition toward a single-payer system could be complicated, challenging and potentially disruptive,” budget analysts wrote.

The Associated Press: “Medicare for all? It’s complicated, budget office says”

Congressional budget experts said Wednesday that moving to a government-run health care system like “Medicare for All” could be complicated and potentially disruptive for Americans … One unintended consequence could be increased wait times and reduced access to care if there are not enough medical providers to meet an expected increased demand for services …  “An expansion of insurance coverage under a single-payer system would increase the demand for care and put pressure on the available supply of care,” the report said.

Modern Healthcare: “CBO warns of complexities, disruption of a single-payer system”

The Congressional Budget Office’s highly anticipated report released Wednesday largely put a damper on the idea of a U.S. single payer healthcare system … Specifically, the CBO issued familiar warnings that a single payer system could increase demand and overtax hospitals and clinicians while imposing hefty new costs.  The report also echoed hospital arguments that adoption of universal Medicare fee for service rates for hospitals would “probably reduce the amount of care supplied and could also reduce the quality of care.”

The Washington Examiner: “Budget office warns of longer waits, less access under Medicare for All Act”

The Congressional Budget Office on Wednesday released an analysis that warned a fully government-financed healthcare system could result in “increased wait times and reduced access to care” if there weren’t enough providers to meet the increase in patient demand … A price tag wasn’t expected, but Republicans and centrist Democrats have warned that moving all healthcare coverage under the control of the federal government would lead to massive tax increases.  They have also warned of less access to care, something that CBO analysts said could happen if the federal government did not work to increase the number of providers … The analysis acknowledges that people would not have a choice of health insurance plan or of the healthcare benefits that are covered.  “Unlike a system with competing private insurers, the public plan might not be as quick to meet patients’ needs, such as covering new treatments,” the report said.

The Washington Post’s “Health 202”: “CBO analysis shows single-payer health system would be messy”

The highly anticipated analysis released yesterday by a nonpartisan organization on Medicare-for-all told us this much: Transitioning the United States to such a single-payer health-care system would be messy.  Very messy … [I]t cautioned that several components of these measures — including covering long-term care for seniors and the elderly and virtually zero cost-sharing — would add heavily to the cost of any single-payer system … The CBO also warned that lawmakers and policymakers would face a host of decisions about which medical benefits would be covered, how much doctors and hospitals would be paid and how prescription drug prices would be negotiated — all factors that play into the total cost of Medicare-for-all and the quality of health coverage Americans would get under it.

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