Featuring Lorens Helmchen, Associate Professor of Health Administration and Policy, George Mason University; Mark V. Pauly, Bendheim Professor, Professor of Health Care Management, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania; moderated by Michael F. Cannon, Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute.
Can Medicare vouchers, such as the proposal authored by House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) that has passed the House of Representatives, restrain Medicare spending without harming the health of enrollees? Health economist Lorens Helmchen suggests that cash payments to patients, either through a lump sum or negative co-payments, could allow Medicare to “spend less by paying more.” Health care experts will discuss the benefits and difficulties of such payments, particularly how they affect Medicare spending, patient choice, incentives for cost-effective treatment, and medical innovation.
