156664 Privatization of Medicare Beyond Part D

Monday, November 5, 2007: 2:30 PM

Barbara B. Kennelly , National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Washington, DC, DC
Member of Congres (Invited) , U. S. Congress, Washington, DC
Carroll L. Estes, PhD , Professor and Founding Director, Institute for Health & Aging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Diane Lifsey , National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, Washington, DC, DC
The Privatization of Medicare Beyond Part D

The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) established the Part D prescription drug program, which only allows Medicare beneficiaries to receive prescription drugs through private plans. The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (NCPSSM) supports allowing seniors to get prescription drugs directly from Medicare and requiring Medicare to negotiate the lowest prices for seniors.

The privatized drug plan undermines Medicare and threatens the future stability of the program. In addition, less well-known provisions of the MMA will lead to the further privatization of Medicare Session participants will learn about provisions in the MMA to means test the Medicare Part B premium, which went into effect on January 1, 2007; subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans, which are currently receiving 111 percent of the amount traditional fee-for service Medicare spends per beneficiary; a cap on the amount of general revenues used to fund Medicare, and a demonstration program that would change Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution/voucher plan. Speakers will discuss the impact of these provisions on Medicare beneficiaries as well as congressional efforts to improve traditional Medicare.

Learning Objectives:
Session participants will learn about provisions in the MMA to means test the Medicare Part B premium, which went into effect on January 1, 2007; subsidies to private Medicare Advantage plans, which are currently receiving 111 percent of the amount traditional fee-for service Medicare spends per beneficiary; a cap on the amount of general revenues used to fund Medicare, and a demonstration program that would change Medicare from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution/voucher plan.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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