Johnson Introduces Medicare “Freedom to Choose” Bill
Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX) has introduced legislation (HR 7148) that would allow so-called private contracting under Medicare and enable people to decline to enroll in Medicare without forfeiting their Social Security. It would also allow people who are otherwise eligible for Medicare to continue contributing to an HSA. Mr. Johnson, who is a member of the Health Subcommittee of the Ways & Means Committee, said in a press release, "If Warren Buffett wants to pay for his own medical care, I say we should let him."
The private contracting issue means that Medicare beneficiaries could see a private physician and pay directly for the service, without requiring the doctor to opt-out of Medicare altogether, provided there is a written contract between the physician and the patient and they do not attempt to bill Medicare for any part of the service.
At the same time, a lawsuit has been filed on this very issue. (See previous post.)
In an op-ed on this issue, Heritage president Ed Feulner, says "You'd expect those who run entitlement programs to jump at any chance to trim expenses and save money (but) you'd be wrong."
Heer’s what’s so amazing: Why wouldn’t it be easy for Warren Buffett to pay for his own medical care? Why do we need a bill?
Placing a value in dollars to asssit the elderly owing to the greed based and corrupted politicians marketideals invites the extreme right to advocate euthanasia under the guise of “balancing the budget” .The Nazi’s had a very similar solution for those who did not fit their fascist elitist insanity. I suppose one could call that the “New Republicanism”?