This guy makes Sen Sanders look like he knows what he is talking about.
It is this type of incoherent rhetoric that prevents the U.S. from fixing health care. Look at the number of retweets and likes. That level of ignorance and acceptance of such a view is even more frightening.
Needless to say high death rates for those on Medicare is because they were elderly, more at risk, possibly in an institution. Not one thing to do with the fact their insurance to pay medical bills was Medicare or perhaps private insurance Medicare Advantage.
People on Medicare don’t receive health care from the government, they pick their own doctor and facilities, they receive the care ordered by their doctor. Medicare is a form of insurance, that’s it.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Who knew? Maybe the person who tweeted this might even point out that annual mortality from all causes collectively is much higher for those people over 65 than for younger groups!
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Well, I wonder if he was also making the point that coverage, in and of itself, wasn’t a solution to the pandemic. That our health care systems, regardless of insurance/coverage process, leaves much to be desired.
As you know, the Medicare for all folks assert that it would save millions of lives each year or so – that it would be an “investment” – where you correctly confirm health care is not the same as health coverage.
Or, he could be as much of an idiot as Bernie, Pocahontas, Sandy and Brandon.
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I vote for the idiot scenario.
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The incredible ignorance of some representatives has had little effect on their supporters. The American South is truly becoming a Confederacy of Dunces.
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Medicare is able to squeeze payments to providers and if it were the only game in town, would the health care establishment run as it does today. I haven’t done any deep dives on reimbursements but it does seem it would curtail incomes for medical types and that would subsequently cause lack of interest in young people entering these fields. Enlighten me on this thinking.
Another thought that runs through my mind is that if anyone can go to any doc at any time is this going to collapse the system for lack of providers?
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Very valid point and consideration and there are many others as well. Medicare pays 20-30% less than private insurance and can only do that because costs can be shifted to the private sector. M4A would require a rethinking of the entire system.
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First, I am totally in agreement with your analysis of the tweet. The two phrases are not the a related cause and effect (result). However, have you not pointed out in the past that universal government healthcare such as the NHS results in limited choices and rationing?
Here in NJ, the State paid $54 million to settle cases involving care provided at the State’s three VA run homes and the pandemic “emergency ” is not even over yet. In fact, there are about two dozen NJ national guard soldiers in the Vineland home today (2-12-22) because the state is unable to properly staff the home. The care that these vets got or didn’t get is directly related to who was paying the bill and the courts agreed.
In New York, the governor order elderly Covid positive patients to be removed from hospitals and returned back to the nursing homes from which they came, infecting more and killing thousands.
Both are examples of government and politicians directing medical care and not a result of who was paying the bill (this time). So I understand the tweet, but you are right that it confuses the issue as much as healthcare should be free.
As a side note, Rep. Massie and Rep. Greene did a podcast with Tim Pool. I don’t fully support their positions, but if you want to know how the House really works, listen to their stories. In 2020, the $1.5T stimulus bill almost passed with just two people on the House chamber floor until Rep. Massie ran into the chamber and objected to the vote. It is scary.
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Medicare is not NHS or anything like it. It’s not government health care any more than Blue Cross is government health care.
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Medicare is an insurance, yes I agree. Most insurance companies tell you what procedures you are allowed to get and what are not allowed or not covered procedures. I understand that the Medicare Advantage plans are underwritten by private insurance companies and they write their own rules. I believe that the same applies to the other parts too except for Part B. The other parts, including Part B, you pay an insurance premium.
So who “underwrites” Part A & B and determines what the payout will be? A private company? A contracted Company? It is my understanding that it is Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), which is a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services as the lead. In other words, the government. Thus it is a government health insurance plan.
Yes, Medicare is not currently a NHS style plan as it is not a universal style coverage whereas at point of service the patient does not pay a bill. However, about 18% of their income taxes is just for NHS. Also the UK has private hospitals because of the care or lack of services at NHS hospitals and the patients pay totally out of pocket.
Also most provides know exactly what Medicare will cover or how much they will pay no matter what they bill. They know this because it is the one plan that they deal with the most unlike the hundreds of private plans in the United States, each with their on rules, contracts, etc..
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NHS is different because health care providers are paid by government which determines what they will be paid. Both private insurance and Medicare determine eligible expenses. Actually in most cases there is little interference by insurers and many cases when there is, there is good reason. I managed health plans for over 40 years and I saw both sides of the story.
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