08/17/2011
Austin FraktOur daily response to some health-related items in the news.
Medicare reform: Obama vs. Ryan: Daniel Kessler and John Taylor argue in the WSJ that Ryan’s plan for Medicare is a better way forward than what Obama has proposed. In it they liken Ryan’s voucher plan to Medicare Part D and say that its advantages stem from a reliance on market prices. Comment: Actually, Ryan’s plan is not market-based enough in that it sets vouchers using an administrative, rather than a competitive process, as Part D does. Additionally, market-based need not preclude a public option (like FFS Medicare), which gets lower prices relative to plans in some areas due to market failures, chiefly high provider market power.
What if the mandate goes?: Matt Dobias of Politico warns that premiums would rise due to adverse selection. Comment: True, but only if nothing replaces the mandate. There are other options.
Perry urges Americans to take “personal responsibility” on health care, taxes: Stephanie Condon of CBS reports that Rick Perry prefers Americans have more “skin in the game,” to take on more of the cost of health care. Comment: A concern is that individuals can’t distinguish between effective and ineffective care. They will cut back indiscriminately. Lower income individuals will cut back much more.
(h/t Igor Volsky for flagging some of these stories.)
by Steve Laniel on August 17th, 2011 at 11:59
This is a terrific structure. I give my vote. Or “+1”, as the kids say.
by George on August 17th, 2011 at 19:15
Skin in the game would seem to make the biggest difference when the question is whether to tolerate discomfort/pain if there is a chance of improvement without expensive treatment and little risk of deterioration.
An article in the Washington Post on comparative effectiveness research provides one example.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/comparative-effectiveness-research-tackles-medicines-unanswered-questions/2011/08/01/gIQA7RJSHJ_story.html
by Zac on August 18th, 2011 at 19:38
Surely the next segment to be added should be called the ‘TIE fighter’…?