GAO Gives Up on Auditing Government Over Medicare Projections, Cites 'Uncertainties'

Re: GAO Gives Up on Auditing Government Over Medicare Projections, Cites 'Uncertainti

RightinNYC said:

But even if all that comes to pass, it still won't lower the costs of hiring nurses to wipe asses and to help people climb in and out of wheelchairs.

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But what fraction of health care expenditures go to those menial tasks? Those services are really not worth more than about $15 per hour. And in any case, medical advances which increase the average age before people NEED those services will reduce the overall cost of them.

RightinNYC said:

I just have a hard time envisioning any scenario in which our health care costs decrease except as the result of a decision to simply stop providing some types of care.

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This is premised on the assumption that future advances in medical care will primarily be advances in better ways to treat disease, just as they were in the past few decades. While there will undoubtedly be some of that, many of the technologies that are now on the horizon are geared more toward prevention and early detection.

To the extent that "sick care" costs continue to increase, you're probably right, but only if people demand the latest and greatest treatments. My guess is that the kind of treatments available in 2010 will be cheaper in 2030 than they are today...if you can even get them anymore.

Re: GAO Gives Up on Auditing Government Over Medicare Projections, Cites 'Uncertainti

Kandahar said:

But what fraction of health care expenditures go to those menial tasks? Those services are really not worth more than about $15 per hour. And in any case, medical advances which increase the average age before people NEED those services will reduce the overall cost of them.

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I think that a very substantial portion of health care expenditures goes to personal services, whether it's provided by nurses or doctors. And while it may increase the age before people need those things, it seems logical that it will also increase the number of years that a person will last after they start using those things.

This is premised on the assumption that future advances in medical care will primarily be advances in better ways to treat disease, just as they were in the past few decades. While there will undoubtedly be some of that, many of the technologies that are now on the horizon are geared more toward prevention and early detection.

To the extent that "sick care" costs continue to increase, you're probably right, but only if people demand the latest and greatest treatments. My guess is that the kind of treatments available in 2010 will be cheaper in 2030 than they are today...if you can even get them anymore.

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This could well be true, and I certainly hope that it is. I just don't know that I'm convinced.

Re: GAO Gives Up on Auditing Government Over Medicare Projections, Cites 'Uncertainti

Deuce said:

Did I fall asleep and miss where the GAO became a partisan organization?

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Go back to sleep, we're better off.

Re: GAO Gives Up on Auditing Government Over Medicare Projections, Cites 'Uncertainti

Deuce said:

I was referring to all the responses who try to paint this as being the fault of Democrats specifically.

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Well that goes without saying. :lamo