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How to Fix Medicare: Let's Pay Patients, Not Physicians (Aie Studies on Medicare Reform) | 
| Author: Roger Feldman
Publisher: AEI Press
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 2576599
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 108
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.4
ISBN: 0844742651
Dewey Decimal Number: 368.38200973
EAN: 9780844742656
ASIN: 0844742651
Publication Date: June 25, 2008
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Health economist Roger Feldman argues that a radical shift in Medicare policy is not only possible but imperative. Under Feldman's medical indemnity proposal, Medicare would pay each patient a fixed amount of money, reserving larger subsidies for sicker people. Feldman argues that a radical shift in Medicare policy is not only possible but imperative.
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| Customer Reviews:
 A unique proposal calling for a revamp of the current medicare system October 9, 2008
Does the answer to America's health care crisis lie in a budget for patients? "How to Fix Medicare: Let's Pay Patients, Not Physicians" is a unique proposal calling for a revamp of the current medicare system. The current system has physicians getting paid, no matter their charge - but Feldman proposes that giving each patient a fixed amount, more if they are in need of it, would encourage them to shop around and therefore encourage physicians to lower their own prices. Unusual but thought provoking food for thought, "How to Fix Medicare" is a good pick for any debating America's health care.br /
 An interesting idea, but I remain unconvinced (maybe I just don't understand) October 4, 2008
While I usually am quite enthusiastic about the books from AEI Press, I am not feeling very supportive of this book. Maybe I am misunderstanding the proposal. While I do agree with the author that the current Medicare system is awful for patients, doctors, and hospitals, I do not think the indemnities the author describes will provide the results Roger Feldman describes. br /br /For example, lets say granny gets a check for $12,000 to take care of her hip operation (if that's the right price, I don't know). So, about this time her drug addicted grandson talks her out of the money or she decides to double her money at the casino before she pays the hospital. What if she decides to fix her hip with magic crystals? I suppose if only approved medical facilities can redeem these indemnities it might work. However, can you imagine the political football of allowing new kinds of "practitioners" in as a means of "lowering" health care costs? A significant chunk of our health insurance money goes to quack non-medical "medicine" already!br /br /The money is gone, granny's hip is still bad, and now what? As a society, we have long ago decided we are not going to let her suffer and say, "Well, it's your fault so just take the misery." Unless we are going to change our culture and let people permanently suffer and die from their stupid choices, I am not sure such direct payments for medical care can work.br /br /Nor do I like the idea that Medigap insurance has to go. Why shouldn't free people be free to make the financial arrangements they find best? If there are problems with the way the insurance is packaged or used, let's address them. But I am not sure that outright abolition of such insurance is the right way to go.br /br /As I say, maybe I am getting this wrong. But this little book as I read it, did not win me over.br /br /Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MIbr /
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