Medicare choices now limited

The future of Medicare was discussed and analyzed on Wednesday in the first lecture this… The future of Medicare was discussed and analyzed on Wednesday in the first lecture this semester as part of a series sponsored by the Health Policy Institute.

Marsha Gold, a senior fellow at Mathematica Policy Research, gave the lecture. The research institute is a non-partisan firm that gathers information for state and federal government agencies as well as for companies in the private sectors.

One of the many issues that Gold focused on was people’s lack of knowledge about the options available to those on Medicare.

“People on Medicare have historically not thought about choice.” Gold said.

That may not be much of a problem for long, as Mathematica has tracked the decreasing amount of options available since 1999.

According to data from their studies, the percentage of people living in urban areas with access to three or more different plans has fallen from more than 60 percent to 49 percent during the past five years.

For those who live in rural areas, there may be no plans available, forcing people to pay the full cost of medical bills.

“If you are unlucky enough to be sick, you may really have to pay a lot,” Gold said.

Another subject was how the recent prescription drug benefit bill that Congress passed, will affect the future of Medicare, since the bill is devoted to overhauling the program.

Gold stated that, although there will probably be substantial fee increases, there will not be an immediate return on service.

When asked about the importance of Medicare for young people, and why they should be familiar with its intricacies, Gold looked to the future.

“They are going to be dealing with it in the future,” she said. “They are going to be on Medicare someday too.”

Speaking about the future of Medicare, Gold addressed the need for choices. To receive better care, people need to be able to choose from a variety of plans, she said.

“There has to be an alternative,” Gold said, “and right now, there aren’t any alternatives.”

The lecture was well-received by Masters of Health Administration students, who were quick to praise.

“The HPI [Health Policy Institute] does a good job in bringing in experts,” said Kristen Sonon, a first year MHA student.

Tom Berlin, also a first year MHA student at Pitt, expressed his thoughts on the lecture, which took place on the first floor of the Graduate School of Public Health.

According to him, “It was a pleasure being able to be exposed to such a well-respected professional who provides valuable insight into such a complicated matter.”