commercials say, but of course, free isn t really free. taxpayers have to go without other things because we pay for these. he when nobody cares or knows what things really cost, costs go through the roof and then the government has to cut because there s no more money and then no one has any choice. now, i don t want to be the grinch here, some people really are helped by these things, but we are individuals with different preferences. if medicare patients spent more of their own money, some would say, i don t need that expensive power wheelchair, i d much rather pay half as much and get this scooter which works pretty well or do without. but such practical individual choices are discouraged by government health care and medicare. i know, the elderly, they love medicare, but it is a wasteful, unsustainable program and obamacare, here it is, thousands of pages, this makes that worse. it s time that we move in the
loves getting free stuff. and medicare is kind of like getting free stuff. and it s not free, you said, i paid into it for years, every check, well, yes, you did. but on average, most of you, you say, will get back three times what you paid in. and that s why medicare is it unsustainable. it s growing broke. it s off the cliff, it s 46 trillion dollars in debt. and politicians promised to cut some costs and in fact, the balanced budget act forced them to cut doctor s fees by get this, 29%, starting next month. they re not going to do it. they ll pass what they call the doc fix to delay the cuts. what they ve always done and they re not going to anger doctors who take care of seniors who vote. so we re just going broke. what are we going to do? well, dr. scott gottlieb has some answers and he used to work for medicare and was an f.d.a. commissioner and peter suitorman says he has answers,
access, you ll see industrialization of medicine in the united states barry doctors instead of delivering direct patient care, they ll manage nurses and providers and patients will have a hard time getting access to doctors. john: what would you do, you re king, fix it. i think that the doctors prices are fixed, they say this is what you go and determine doctor rates. this is the only service i know of where there s no difference in the level of compensation commensurate with talent, skills, reputation, all doctors earn the same under medicare and they basically don t have to compete. so on some level a lot of physicians like the system and private carriers were competing for doctor services and see a gradation for service what kind of service they were and what they were delivering. john: they like this and paid the same rate. right, they like it until there s a threat that the
loves getting free stuff. and medicare is kind of like getting free stuff. and it s not free, you said, i paid into it for years, every check, well, yes, you did. but on average, most of you, you say, will get back three times what you paid in. and that s why medicare is it unsustainable. it s growing broke. it s off the cliff, it s 46 trillion dollars in debt. and politicians promised to cut some costs and in fact, the balanced budget act forced them to cut doctor s fees by get this, 29%, starting next month. they re not going to do it. they ll pass what they call the doc fix to delay the cuts. what they ve always done and they re not going to anger doctors who take care of seniors who vote. so we re just going broke. what are we going to do? well, dr. scott gottlieb has some answers and he used to work for medicare and was an f.d.a. commissioner and peter suitorman says he has answers, a medicare specialist at
oops? this is because (laughter) careful, too. this is because the government reimburses everybody $3,000 for the fancy power chair. yes. john: but $1,000 for this thing. and federal reports have shown there are 300, 400% profit being made on the power wheelchairs and peechl want an amigo you complaint to the government. they ve said what. we ve sent letters and tried to contact them and they don t see a need for the change. to ask them to increase reimbursement for products like an amigo doesn t make sense to them. when you re looking at the big picture and to increase the reimbursement for this, it could save millions and millions of dollars for medicare. and obamacare will increase this kind of stuff because obamacare means somebody else is paying for more stuff and i would think more people are going be to buy the expensive stuff if it s free? i think if you gave people i know that if you gave people a choice on which