Deliverable Length: 4pagesOn April 9, 2003 the U.S. congressional Subcommittee on Health (part of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce) heard testimony from various witnesses on the topic "Strengthening and Improving Medicare."
Since that time, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA ) was passed to extend the life of Medicare programming. Part of this legislation involved the passage of Part D (Prescription Drug Insurance). Another significant part of this legislation involved various Pay For Performance (P4P) incentives. In this project you will read the short paper on Medicare Reform. Then you will search the Internet and Online Library for at least 3 articles (2003 or newer) summarizing recent legislation/changes related to Medicare Part A-D programming.
The following document is a report on Medicare Reform to be used in this assignment, Clickhere.
Part 1: Summarize and share witness testimony
Your job is to summarize and synthesize the most recent Medicare related legislation from the articles located and analyze what impact this will have on the involved stakeholders (i.e., patients, providers, third-party payers).
Part 2 :Provide a forecast for Medicare Reform
Include a prediction of how this Medicare legislation will impact the life of the Medicare program. Lastly, you must propose at least 1 change to the current Medicare legislation that will extend the life of the program beyond 2026.
(Please include references and in text citation)
Document Preview: Medicare Reform
The government has tried to control healthcare spending mainly through Medicare reform. In 1997, Congress expanded Medicare’s managed care program and renamed it Medicare+Choice. By encouraging seniors to join a private plan, they would save money and have a more complete package of health coverage. President Clinton’s plan bought Medicare some time. According to the below chart, in 1997, Medicare began to make some remarkable strides. You see a positive trend until the baby boomers begin to retire around 2013.
XXXXXXXXXXBettelheim, 2003, p.14)
The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 is the latest attempt to salvage Medicare from becoming extinct in 2026. Preventive benefits are to begin in 2005. For those enrolled in Medicare Part B, there will be a one-time initial physical exam. The physical exam includes screening for diabetes, various cancers, and cardiovascular diseases, as well as immunizations against the flu and pneumonia. Bettelheim XXXXXXXXXXstated,
Beginning in 2006, seniors will pay a monthly premium of $35, and an annual deducible of $250. In exchange, the government would pay 75% of drug cost from $250 to $2250, but seniors would pay drug costs from $2251 to $3600. Only after the senior paid $3600 will Medicare pay 95% of further drug costs (p. 6)
To help control government costs, drug discount cards will be available until the Medicare prescription drug benefits begin in 2006. “Seniors will save 10-25% off the cost of medicines” (p 26). Private health plans will compete for seniors’ business by providing better coverage at affordable prices. This helps control the costs of Medicare by using market-place competition. Seniors can choose to stay in traditional Medicare, or those who like the lower cost sharing and extra benefits often available in...