Almost Right

Yesterday's NY Times opined about the Medicare debate. It's a little in the weeds on the policy front, but they do mention some good ways to help with soaring health care costs across the system: electronic health records and paying doctors for the quality of their care. These ideas are right on because they address the broader issue in the health care system, costs.
What they also mention - forcing high income beneficiaries to pay more for drugs- does not help with the larger issue. Beneficiaries already contributed their fair share through higher payroll and income taxes throughout their lives. To boot, they are paying a second tier of taxes on their Social Security benefits for the Medicare program. And they are already paying more for doctors, with their premiums doubling since 2000. If you're working past age 65, you may even get hit by this proposal.
Ultimately, the sentiment of the Times is laudable, but trying to lower costs this way is no way to reform healthcare.