0-9-14 – Seniors, Medicare & Single Payer

Important issue for seniors.

0-9-14 – Seniors, Medicare & Single Payer
posted by Rob Roper

An interesting kerfuffle popped up in the comment pages of Vermont Digger’s recent article,Feliciano Claims Shumlin Wants to Take Over Medicare. First, the way the headline is phrased is meant to cast doubt on the “claim.” However, Act 48 as passed – which Shumlin signed and his party and the Progressives wrote and voted for – spells out specifically that the Vermont does in fact want to take over Medicare. It states with emphasis added:
“The director, in collaboration with the agency of human services, SHALL obtain waivers, exemptions, agreements, legislation, or a combination thereof to ensure that, to the extent possible under federal law, ALL FEDERAL PAYMENTS PROVIDED WITHIN THE STATE FOR HEALTH SERVICES ARE PAID DIRECTLY TO GREEN MOUNTAIN CARE. GREEN MOUNTAIN CARE SHALL ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BENEFITS AND SERVICES PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR BY the federal programs, including Medicaid, MEDICARE, and, after implementation, the Vermont health benefit exchange.” (Page 12)
And,
“The agency SHALL SEEK PERMISSION from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services TO BE THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE MEDICARE PROGRAM IN VERMONT.” (Page 85)
Digger reporter Morgan True pointed out that Act 48 has since been refined to read,
(e) The Agency SHALL SEEK PERMISSION from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services TO BE THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE MEDICARE PROGRAM IN VERMONT. If the Agency is unsuccessful in obtaining such permission, Green Mountain Care shall be the secondary payer with respect to any health service that may be covered in whole or in part by Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (Medicare).

The new language reflects the reality that Shumlin et al may not get what they want from the feds, but it’s not a “claim” by Feliciano that the governor and the legislature WANT to take over Medicare. It’s a fact codified in law. And, they are legally obligated to try.

Whether successful or not, seniors will be impacted by the transition to single payer should it occur. If Vermont gets its waivers, Medicare will be folded into Green Mountain Care. If not, then GMC will become the secondary or “wrap around” payer. This means that seniors who have private wrap around or Medigap policies could potentially no longer be able to obtain them. GMC will fill that role; how well, who knows? All we know for sure is that the program will be administered by the same people who brought us the Vermont Health Connect debacle. Not comforting.

Many commenters on the Digger article accused Feliciano of trying to scare seniors. But, these are facts. If the facts are scary, we have a problem.

- Rob Roper is president of the Ethan Allen Institute www.ethanallen.org