Medicare is the 800-pound gorilla in the room when we speak of health care. Both parties fail to address the issue of efficiency to bring down cost.

Neither decreasing payments to hospitals (Democrats) and doctors nor using a voucher system to stimulate competition by insurance companies (Republicans) addresses the basic flaw in these approaches. The profits these systems would generate would absorb any savings. A for-profit health care system is no longer affordable. The only approach for Medicare is to create a not-for-profit HMO.

Those who believe in the free-market system should have the choice of a voucher for the estimated payment that would have gone into the HMO. They could choose an insurance plan, using these funds. Both those in favor of the government option and free enterprise should be satisfied.

Of course, there are details. Where would we get physicians to join this HMO? That could be achieved by offering to absorb medical school loans and malpractice insurance. Would there be enough physicians to care for all the patients? This could be resolve by using a layered system. Most patients would be seen by a nurse. If the nurse could not resolve the issue, a nurse practitioner or physicians assistant would. Next, if the need required, would be the physician and then the specialist.

The savings would be considerable. Additionally, nurses and physicians assistants would have more time to see patients, so patient satisfaction would increase. While all patients would like to see a specialist for routine problems, it is not practical or financially feasible. We can save our health care system while maintaining the quality we all want.

STEVEN SCHWARTZ

Jupiter

Misinformation presented

in article about Medicare

Laura Greens front-page article Medicare truth eludes both sides attempted to point out falsehoods in the Medicare debate between Obamaites and Romneycans. Unfortunately, The Post only exacerbated the problem of inaccurate information floating around.

Original post:

Letter: Both parties miss the real Medicare solution