Still Confused - Government Math Cont'd.
The article "Congress Weighs Big Cuts to Medicaid and Medicare" in the Sunday, October 30, 2005 New York Times refers to a "$10 billion fund that can be used to increase payments to private insurers, as an incentive for them to enter and stay in the Medicare program."
I am assuming the Medicare program mentioned is the prescription drug benefit program that, according to my math, provided less than 25% of the cost of the first $5,000 of drugs a senior needs to buy.
The insurance companies are getting government funds to provide the coverage. I am assuming this is in addition to the premiums the individual pays.
The whole thing still makes no sense to me, but the dollars are certainly flowing somewhere.
I hold the media responsible for not providing a clear picture of what is going on here.
Anybody smell a pig roast near by?