Comments on: Austin Frakt on NPR http://thefinancebuff.com/2009/10/austin-frakt-on-npr.html like a friend telling you about money ... Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:52:38 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 By: John http://thefinancebuff.com/2009/10/austin-frakt-on-npr.html/comment-page-1#comment-2833 John Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:55:39 +0000 http://thefinancebuff.com/2009/10/austin-frakt-on-npr.html#comment-2833 I had this running debate with this person some months ago over how to really, really reduce health care costs. I really, really, doubted whether a "medicare-for-all" plan would do the trick, since it addressed only the "coverage" side and not the "cost" side. I submitted that monopsony (his term, but appropriate) would not affect costs so long as pay-per-service dominated. I was also amused by this week's "Sixty Minutes" hit piece on Medicare fraud. Increase the coverage, increase the fraud? I still submit the only really effective way to curb costs is to curb coverage, payments to providers, and procedures to "granny". That's a non-starter, so you folks age forty and under get ready to pay the price for my Medicare ear-lobe replacement. I had this running debate with this person some months ago over how to really, really reduce health care costs. I really, really, doubted whether a “medicare-for-all” plan would do the trick, since it addressed only the “coverage” side and not the “cost” side. I submitted that monopsony (his term, but appropriate) would not affect costs so long as pay-per-service dominated. I was also amused by this week’s “Sixty Minutes” hit piece on Medicare fraud. Increase the coverage, increase the fraud? I still submit the only really effective way to curb costs is to curb coverage, payments to providers, and procedures to “granny”. That’s a non-starter, so you folks age forty and under get ready to pay the price for my Medicare ear-lobe replacement.

]]> By: Austin Frakt http://thefinancebuff.com/2009/10/austin-frakt-on-npr.html/comment-page-1#comment-2825 Austin Frakt Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:33:03 +0000 http://thefinancebuff.com/2009/10/austin-frakt-on-npr.html#comment-2825 @TFB - Thank you! Those were kind words. I'm glad you still read my posts. And to think, I'd still be toiling in obscurity, my policy-relevant work unknown to the world, if it hadn't been for your invitation to co-blog with you back in March. That launched me into blogging and the rest is history. (So have you selected your next protege?) A note for your readers: I still have some personal finance content on my blog and that will continue. But my focus has moved to a more economics and health policy one. I also have a co-blogger who is an antitrust attorney and he'll be educating us on legal matters. Your questions and thoughts are always welcome. See you in the blogosphere! @TFB – Thank you! Those were kind words. I’m glad you still read my posts.

And to think, I’d still be toiling in obscurity, my policy-relevant work unknown to the world, if it hadn’t been for your invitation to co-blog with you back in March. That launched me into blogging and the rest is history. (So have you selected your next protege?)

A note for your readers: I still have some personal finance content on my blog and that will continue. But my focus has moved to a more economics and health policy one. I also have a co-blogger who is an antitrust attorney and he’ll be educating us on legal matters. Your questions and thoughts are always welcome.

See you in the blogosphere!

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