When it comes to long-term restructuring and reform of the American healthcare system, it is probably safe to say that a lot of focus is on whether America should adopt a single-payer model of healthcare.Such a "Medicare for All" proposal suggests expanding the existing Medicare program to cover more treatments and services and allowing coverage of virtually every American. In addition to versions of the proposal in the House and Senate, proposals have been introduced at the state level in places from Massachusetts and California to even Iowa and Ohio.But wait... what is Medicare like for beneficiaries right now? It's the largest existing federal social program, but a lot of voters who get polled on this likely do not already qualify for Medicare, and let's be honest, you're probably not asking your relatives about the details of their Medicare coverage.Medicare spent $830 billion dollars in 2020, and as a mandatory program, Congress doesn't even need to approve budget increases every year. Given this size, there are bound to be issues that voters, and by proxy taxpayers, should more easily understand.
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What Actually is Medicare?
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When it comes to long-term restructuring and reform of the American healthcare system, it is probably safe to say that a lot of focus is on whether America should adopt a single-payer model of healthcare.Such a "Medicare for All" proposal suggests expanding the existing Medicare program to cover more treatments and services and allowing coverage of virtually every American. In addition to versions of the proposal in the House and Senate, proposals have been introduced at the state level in places from Massachusetts and California to even Iowa and Ohio.But wait... what is Medicare like for beneficiaries right now? It's the largest existing federal social program, but a lot of voters who get polled on this likely do not already qualify for Medicare, and let's be honest, you're probably not asking your relatives about the details of their Medicare coverage.Medicare spent $830 billion dollars in 2020, and as a mandatory program, Congress doesn't even need to approve budget increases every year. Given this size, there are bound to be issues that voters, and by proxy taxpayers, should more easily understand.