Saturday, February 21, 2009

Obama's Budget Squeeze Play

The WaPo has an article laying out The O-and-Savior's initial budget plan.

He's putting a "squeeze play" on private health insurance.

Administration officials and outside experts say the most likely path to revamping the health system is to begin with Medicare, the federal program for retirees and people with disabilities, and Medicaid, which serves the poor.

...Making policy changes in those programs -- such as rewarding physicians who computerize their medical records or paying doctors for results rather than procedures--could improve care while generating long-term savings, expert say. It also could prod private insurers to follow suit

So he's 'reducing spending on Medicare/Medicaid.'

Uh-huh.

Traditionally, those "reductions" are offset by increases in doctor and hospital fees charged to patients covered by traditional health insurance--that would be you and me, folks.

And guess what that does to premiums?

What he wants to do is make 'traditional insurance' expensive enough so that employers will be happy to dump the plans when Gummint Health Insurance is finally organized and available--including the "Final Solution" cost/benefit provisions.

You read it here first.

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