medical vouchers in place of medicare

[hithere3387]

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I realize this scenario is highly improbable, but it seems to come up every couple of years. I'm curious as to what the consequences might be for physicians if medicare were to be replaced by a medical voucher program. Thoughts?

 

[docB]

I think it would greatly increase the penetration of managed care. If people are given vouchers for medical insurance they would take those vouchers to insurers and presumably be put into those company's Medicare Advantage plans which are managed care plans. The actual sector of Medicare Advantage might go away or be renamed but I suspect it would all function about the same as they do now.

For independent primary care docs this could be devastating. If all your Medicare patients suddenly have to join these plans and are told that they must now switch to in network doctors you would have no choice but to contract with the plan and thus you'd be bargaining at a big disadvantage.

 

[MOHS_01]

I think it would greatly increase the penetration of managed care. If people are given vouchers for medical insurance they would take those vouchers to insurers and presumably be put into those company's Medicare Advantage plans which are managed care plans. The actual sector of Medicare Advantage might go away or be renamed but I suspect it would all function about the same as they do now.

For independent primary care docs this could be devastating. If all your Medicare patients suddenly have to join these plans and are told that they must now switch to in network doctors you would have no choice but to contract with the plan and thus you'd be bargaining at a big disadvantage.

What he said. It will hasten consolidation on both sides of the equation, and in so doing, will remove the last vestiges of the autonomous physician.

There are three parties in this game: payer, provider, and the intermediary. Try though I may, I can find no added value for either of the two counterparties provided by the intermediary. They will take their cut, delay or ration care, and force down prices (via their sanctioned monopolistic rights) when necessary to maintain their medical loss ratio.