Healthcare: Ensuring Quality Care for Medicare Patients

Almost all policymakers say that Medicare needs to be reformed. Since 2008, doctors who treat Medicare patients have recieved cuts of 5 to 10 percent in their reimbursements from the government. Bush's budget said that $70 billion in savings would occur on Medicare and Medicaid over the next five years. Medicare is set up where doctors get paid for their quantity of services and not their quality of service. Legislators approved a "pay-for-performance" plan that allows Medicare to pay doctors a 1.5 percent bonus if they provide information about the type and quality of their services. Legislators want Medicare to do this to reward good doctors and hospitals that proved the quality and reasonable costly treatment for the Medicare beneficaries. The pay-for-performance system has been a successful one as it has lessen deaths in participating hospitals. Critics say that officails do not have the accurate understanding or knowledge to set standards for medial care. Others argue that if there is guidelines then the government would be undermining doctors authority. Opponents also say that doctors should require "quality care" to their patients at all times.

I agree with the policymakers that Medicare must be reformed. There is no way people my age will be able to have the same benefits as old people do nowadays if Medicare costs and systems continue they way they are right now. Also, I believe that the pay-for-performance system is a good one. The system will promote quality care for everyone getting Medicare. It will reward the superior doctors for giving the best treatment by giving them 1.5 percent bonus. The system will encourage doctors who try to get away with not giving the best care and treatment to start doing so. This program is obviously working because the hospitals participating in this plan have had fewer deaths in heart attack patients than in previous years. This must mean that doctors are giving the best care possible to their patients. Hopefully in return it helps Medicare costs too. Sandra J. Tanenbaum agrees with me on this topic.

Issue #1 Comprehensive vs. Incremental Health Care Reform

Issue #3 Safe to Eat?