MedPage Today November 27, 2023
Cheryl Kunis, MD, MS

— Privatization of the public program has simply bolstered corporate profits

In 1973, The New York Times published an editorial entitled “Medicarelessness,” questioning the allocation of public funding for “special interest groups” — specifically, for patients with end-stage renal disease. Just 2 months earlier, President Richard Nixon had signed the Medicare Amendments Bill, which expanded coverage for dialysis and transplantation. The editorial argued that the benefits of prioritizing funding for expensive therapies like dialysis over other societal needs were unclear. At the heart of the issue was whether legislators, given limited resources, were acting responsibly when deciding how to prioritize public funding.

Exactly half a century later, the question of “Medicarelessness” is more relevant than ever, although in an entirely...

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Topics: Congress / White House, Govt Agencies, Insurance, Medicare, Patient / Consumer, Provider
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