The Medicare Advantage (MA) programs insure over twenty-two (22) Million Americans with comprehensive health insurance, at a lower federal cost than either Traditional Medicare or Obamacare/ACA. The progressive “Medicare for All” plan has a growing popularity among the American electorate. House Democrats made improved health care a successful plank in their 2018 congressional campaigns – but what we need to see is more practicality devoted to achieving this goal.
The affordability of health insurance is the last, and most important piece of our truly great American health care system puzzle that we need to complete. The Democrats call for “Medicare for All” is an understandable expression of our collective desire to successfully complete this work of art. In an Amerispeak poll conducted last year, 49% of Americans were very concerned about the number of people without health insurance.
The failure of the Republican Party to come up with a viable alternative to the ACA and the fact that we still have 30 million uninsured Americans has exacerbated this national crisis and thwarted the efforts of our health insurance carriers and health care providers to extend their services to all Americans.
We need to see more practicality and creativity devoted to achieving a solution to this problem. The Mercatus Center at Georgetown University has released a comprehensive study showing that Senator Sander’s “Medicare for All” Bill would cost $32.6 trillion over the first 10 years. Our country currently has a national debt of approximately $21.7 trillion. Based on these numbers, conservatives will probably be successful in opposing “Medicare for All” so long as Republicans maintain a majority in Senate.
What we can do to fix this system is deregulate the non-group health insurance market and crank up a variety of Gold, Silver, and Bronze – Medicare Advantage (MA) health insurance plan choices that will be attractive to and more affordable for young and middle-aged Americans. As we all know, MA is a tremendously successful program. It already covers over 38% of our elderly citizens. Moreover, some of the special Medicare and Medicaid plans may also cover the costs of an assisted living facility for a few months. A few other senior services can also be covered by such healthcare plans.
Not to forget, Medicare Advantage is growing like a weed. Of the 11,000 – 15,000 Americans that age into eligibility for the Medicare program daily; the Gorham Group believes that 50% choose MA plans within their first year of eligibility. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the MA is far more successful than Obamacare (9 Million) will ever be. ACA enrollment has declined in each of the last three years. And, even as we currently enjoy almost the lowest uninsured rate ever in U.S. history, the ACA is steadily moving us in the wrong direction. We can make these Medicare Advantage plans even more affordable by preserving the competition between the health plans.
Necessary subsidies and tax credits can be funded by restructuring the Medicare Trust Funds, which must be done shortly because the Medicare Trust Fund actuaries predict it will be bankrupt by 2026. This year they will issue the second “Medicare Funding Warning” that within 7 years, Medicare will have to draw more than 45% of its funding from general revenues. For each such “Warning” by law, requires the President of the United States to submit to the U.S. Congress proposed legislation responsive to the problem “within 15 days after the submission of the Fiscal 2020 Budget.” Congress is then required to consider the legislation on an expedited basis. This law is a measure of the importance we place on protecting our Medicare program.
Long story short, it should be clear that it is within our power to reduce our cost of health care. We have the skill and expertise to simultaneously reduce the cost of our health care GDP to a competitive world market level, secure our exceptional and unique health care financing system and improve the health, productivity and insurability of the American people. A properly designed, expertly administered and adequately regulated MAA program will accomplish these goals.
Want to support MA? You can.
To support and join this movement, you can download our Medicare Advantage Membership Application and complete it with your contact information and send it to us with your financial support or just complete the Pay Pal Credit card authorization on the About and Become A Supporter Pages on our web site.
For more information on the Medicare-Advantage-For-All plan and the movement, visit our Medicare-Advantage-For-All plan page or our Medicare Advantage Facebook page, call us at 1-888-683-3719 or contact our email us at: contact@medicare-advantage-for-all.com.
