Presidential debate
To the editor:
I listened to the presidential debate on the evening of Oct. 3. A few statements uttered by the candidates need further expounding upon. Mitt Romney stated that Obama-Care will cut $716 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years. President Obama did not deny this but added that no one’s benefits will be reduced. Both statements are true, how can this be?
The Medicare cuts will be in the form of lower payments to the doctors, hospitals and nursing homes that provide the services. The practice of squeezing the medical service provider has gone on for decades and is partly responsible for health insurance premiums being so high. As medical providers are paid less to render a service, they have to increase their charges wherever they can to make ends meet. Most often, this is the person paying with private insurance or personal funds.
The federal Medicare and state Medicaid systems are famous for paying below what the true cost of a health care service is. Since the medical provider has to increase prices to other payers to make ends meet, the person with insurance is actually paying a hidden tax in the form of higher insurance premiums to offset the governments inadequate payment.
This cost shifting of robbing Peter to pay Paul is causing insurance to become more unaffordable every year. We need to elect politicians who will stop this practice, rather than continue to make it worse, as Obama-Care will do.
Phil Cyr, administrator
Caribou Rehab and Nursing Center
