Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
OF JOBS AND HOUSING SENDING
THE DOW 13 POINTS FROM THE
13,000 MARK.
>> Greta: TIME IS RUNNING
OUT.
SO IS THE MONEY.
CAN MEDICARE BE SAVED?
IF YOU OR YOUR PARENT RES LIE
ON MEDICARE, PAY ATTENTION.
THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM.
SENATORS TOM COBURN AND
RICHARD BURR SAY THEY HAVE A
SOLUTION.
WE SPOKE WITH THE SENATORS
EARLIER TONIGHT.
SENATORS, NICE TO SEE YOU
BOTH.
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> Greta: MEDICARE, LET ME
START WITH YOU, SENATOR COBURN
SO WE UNDERSTAND.
WHEN UNDER THE EXISTING SYSTEM
CAN WE EXPECT IT WILL BE
INSOLVENT, THAT THEY RUN OUT
OF MONEY ON MEDICARE?
>> IF YOU TAKE THE WORST CASE
SCENARIO, HOSPITAL TRUST FUND,
THE FUND THAT PAYS THE
HOSPITAL BILLS, WILL BE OUT OF
MONEY IN 2016.
EACH YEAR THAT GETS WORSE WHEN
THE TRUSTEES LOOK AT IT AND
SAY WHERE ARE WE?
SO EACH YEAR IT HAS GOTTEN
CLOSER.
THE YEAR BEFORE LAST IT WAS
2017.
THE YEAR BEFORE THAT, 2018.
SOMETIME AROUND 2016, '17, WE
KNOW WE CAN SAY PRETTY
SPECIFICALLY THAT THE HOSPITAL
TRUST FUND WILL HAVE NO MONEY.
NO MONEY TO PAY THE HOSPITAL
BILLS FOR MEDICARE.
>> Greta: SENATOR BURR, YOU
AND SENATOR COBURN HAVE COME
UP WITH A NEW IDEA.
TELL ME HOW IT'S DIFFERENT
FROM WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
>> LET ME SAY IT'S NOT NEW.
WE INCORPORATED A LOT OF IDEAS
FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
CONGRESS, AND AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
WE TRIED TO PUT IN A BILL THAT
ENSURES OUR PARENTS AND
CHILDREN THAT MEDICARE WILL BE
SAFE.
IT BRINGS TRANSPARENCY FOR THE
FIRST TIME CHOICE TO SENIORS
SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY CHOOSE A
HEALTHCARE PLAN THAT BEST FITS
THEIR AGE, INCOME AND HEALTH
NEEDS.
WE BELIEVE IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT
SENIORS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN
THE DECISION-MAKING ON THE
HEALTHCARE BECAUSE UTILIZATION
IS GOING TO BE ABSOLUTELY
CRUCIAL IN THE FUTURE TO THE
EFFICIENCIES THAT WE NEED TO
GET IN HEALTHCARE.
>> Greta SENATOR COBURN,
YOU ARE A DOCTOR.
TELL ME WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR
BILL BETTER FOR PATIENT?
>> THEY WILL HAVE BETTER
ACCESS TO BETTER QUALITY
DOCTORS, FOR ONE.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
DISTRIBUTION, NUMBERS THAT ARE
DROPPING OUT OF MEDICARE, NOT
GOING TO TAKE MEDICARE
PATIENTS ANYMORE, A BIG
PROBLEM FOR 10,000 PER DAY
GOING ON MEDICARE RIGHT NOW.
BABY-BOOMERS.
MY AGE.
ACCESS TO BETTER CARE AND
BETTER OUTCOMES AND THEY WILL
BE MORE INVOLVED IN THEIR
CARE.
THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING.
NUMBER TWO, MEDICARE WILL BE
SAVED.
YOU HAVE A CONGRESS THAT IS
DOING NOTHING NOW ABOUT THE
BIGGEST FINANCIAL PROBLEM WE
HAVE, WHICH IS HOW DO WE PAY
FOR MEDICARE?
ACTING ON THAT AND CREATING A
COMPETITIVE MARKET TO BUY WHAT
YOU WANT AND HOLD THEM
ACCOUNTABLE.
YOU HAVE CAN'T HOLD ANYBODY
ACCOUNTABLE ON MEDICARE.
CALL MEDICARE SOME DAY AND SEE
WHAT ANSWERS YOU GET.
YOU HAVE CAN'T GET ANYTHING.
YOU WILL HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY
BECAUSE YOU ARE BUYING A PLAN
WITH MONEY YOU ARE GIVEN TO
BUY WHAT YOU WANT, BASED ON
WHAT YOUR NEEDS, YOUR PHYSICAL
CONDITION IS, YOUR HEALTH
CONDITION AND ALSO YOUR
FINANCIAL SITUATION.
>> Greta: 10,000 MORE PUT ON
PER DAY.
BABY BOOMERS ADDED TO THE
ROLL.
UNLESS YOU PUT THE AGE
ELIGIBILITY FARTHER OUT OR
COME UP WITH A NEW INCOME
SOURCE OR GET RID OF WASTE AND
FRAUD, OR CUT THE SERVICES I
DON'T KNOW HOW YOUR PLAN WORKS
OR DO YOU THOSE DO THOSE
THINGS?
>> WE DO.
WE CECIND THE AGE TWO MONTHS
EVERY YEAR UNTIL WE HIT 67.
WE LOOK AT THE MEDIGAP
INSURANCE AND INCOME TEST FROM
MEDIGAP TO THE CATASTROPHIC
LIMIT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
TOM AND I WITH THE PLAN
INTRODUCE TO THE AMERICAN
SENIORS AN ANNUAL CAP ON WHAT
THEY WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
OUT OF POCKET IN THE WORST
CASE HEALTH SCENARIO.
WE ENSURE THEY WON'T LOSE WHAT
THEY ACALMLATED DUE TO THE
HEALTH CONDITION THEY HAVE NOW
OR ACCUMULATE.
>> WITH THE TYPE OF CHANGES WE
MAKE WE GET A DIFFERENT LEVEL
OF BUY-IN BY INDIVIDUALS THAT
ARE BENEFICIARIES THAT HELP US
TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FUTURE
COST WILL BE.
>> EVERY PERSON LISTENING TO
THIS THINKS IN THE AGE OF 40,
50, 60, I PAY MONEY TO
MEDICARE.
ARE YOU TELLING ME I CAN'T GET
IT UNTIL FARTHER IN FUTURE
WHEN I PAY THIS MONEY, NUMBER
ONE?
NUMBER TWO, IT'S MORE
EXPENSIVE AND THAT IS WHAT IS
GOING TO HAPPEN TO ME?
>> THE BIG LIE IS WE PUT IN
ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THE
EXPENSES.
THAT IS POLITICAL CHEATING
THAT HAS GONE ON.
>> Greta: RIGHT NOW?
>> YEAH.
THE AVERAGE COUPLE PUTS IN
$130,000.
THEY TAKE OUT $340.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK IT WILL
LAST?
WHY ARE THEY TAKING OUT 340?
YOU MENTION SOMETHING A MINUTE
AGO SENATOR, WASTE, FRAUD
ABUSE.
WHAT WE KNOW IS ONE OUT OF
EVERY $3 IN MEDICARE SPENT
DOESN'T HELP ANYBODY.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE COULD TAKE
ONE OUT OF THREE AND MAKE SURE
IT IS HELPING SOMEBODY?
EXTEND THE LIFE OF MEDICARE BY
25 YEARS.
JUST BY DOING THAT.
THAT IS ONE THING THAT THE
BILL WILL DO.
WE ORDER TESTS THAT AREN'T
NECESSARY BECAUSE WE DON'T
CARE WHO IS PAYING THE BILL.
THE DOCTOR ISN'T PAYING THE
BILL.
THE PATIENT ISN'T PAYING THE
BILL.
THE MEDICARE FUND IS PAYING
THE BILL.
IF YOU DON'T CARE WHO IS
PAYING THE BILL YOU DON'T CARE
WHAT THINGS COST.
SO CONSEQUENTLY WE HAVE A
LARGE COMPONENT IN TOTAL
HEALTHCARE IN THE COMPANY THAT
IS AROUND $800 BILLION A YEAR
THAT DOESN'T TELLP ANYBODY IN
HEALTHCARE.
MEDICARE IS $350 TO
$400 BILLION OF THAT.
CHANGING THAT EXTENDS THE LIFE
OF MEDICARE.
THAT MEANS YOU DON'T GET THE
TEST DONE TWICE BECAUSE TWO
DOCTORS AREN'T TALKING TO EACH
OTHER.
YOU ONLY GET THE TEST DONE
ONCE.
>> Greta: IT SEEMS UNIVERSAL
LITERATURE, MEDICAL LITERATURE
EXERCISE, EVEN AT EARLY AGE,
NOT BEING OVERWEIGHT, EATING
WELL, YOU HAVE BETTER HEALTH
AS YOU GET OLDER.
>> EXCEPT FOR YOUR KNEES WHEN
YOU WORN THEM OUT FROM
EXERCISING.
>> Greta: YET FOR YOUR
KNEES.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT THE
FIRST LADY, MICHELLE OBAMA IS
GETTING CRITICIZED BY SOME
SAYING IT'S A NANNY STATE
BECAUSE SHE IS ENCOURAGING
THAT PEOPLE GET EXERCISE.
A LOT OF CONSERVATIVES ARE
CRITICIZING HER.
FAIR CRITICISM?
>> NO.
IT'S GREAT WHAT SHE IS SAYING.
SHE IS RIGHT.
WE NEED TO CHANGE OUR DIET AND
BE MORE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
IF WE WILL DO THAT, IT WILL
PAY BIG DIVIDENDS.
WE KNOW THAT PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY, MARKETTEDLY
STIMULATES THE BRAIN AND
INCREASES NEURAL TRANSMITTERS,
MAKES YOU BRIGHTER AND SMARTER
LONGER.
IT GIVES YOU BETTER JUDGMENT
AND BETTER STABILITY.
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH
HER PROMOTING THAT.
GIVE HER KUDOS FOR DOING IT.
RIGHT THING TO DO.
>> WE TRIED TO PUT TOGETHER A
HEALTHCARE PLAN FOR SENIORS
THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO STAY
HEALTHY.
WHEN THEY GET SICK TO GET THEM
WELL FASTER AND KEEP THEM OUT
OF THE HOSPITAL TO GIVE THEM
TO LIVE LONGER.
WE CAN DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE
PERIOD IN BETWEEN.
>> Greta: STRAIGHT AHEAD, IT
HAPPENED AGAIN.