Potential Consequences of Reforming Medicare into a Competitive Bidding System

摘要

The idea of a premium support (or voucher) system for Medicare has generated substantial debate. Under premium support, Medicare beneficiaries choose among health plans that compete in a market-based bidding system. In some models, the Traditional Medicare (TM) program is abandoned entirely in favor of private health plans. In other models, such as the Ryan-Wyden plan, TM becomes one option among many.