Name: Gurpreet Makkar
Student number: 0909615
Medicare Reform Reflection Paper
Many constant attempts have been made and are being made in order to reduce
the cost of a substantial part of the United States healthcare system, Medicare.
Various policies have been suggested and implemented to bring the rising costs
of Medicare to a halt. Programs such as eligibility age for Medicare, premiums for
high-income beneficiaries, Medicare premium supports and readmissions
reduction program are among the few suggestions that policy makers have put
forth to help improve the quality of patient care and lowering cost for running the
Medicare program.
Among these reforms I feel that the Raising the age of Eligibility for Medicare to
67 will likely be the most successful in achieving its intended goals. The typical
admissibility age for Medicare is 65, however statistics now indicate that
beneficiaries are now in much better health at the age of 65, so therefore raising
the eligibility for Medicare to 67 will cause less disruption, as many beneficiaries
are not yet in need for such benefits (Elmendorf, 2013). The estimates of
implementing this will save substantially healthcare expenditures on Medicare.
As mention in the reform RAISING THE AGE OF ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICARE
TO 67: AN UPDATED ESTIMATE OF THE BUDGETARY EFFECTS as the
following: “Implementing this option would reduce federal budget deficits by $19
